Infinite Stratos: Fallen Angel
by Alfred Blake Astracadence
Summary: Orimura, a name whose meaning would have been strength itself for all the deeds she had done. Shinonono, who would then be recognized as a genius for ages to come for her work. Their siblings are thrust in a world irreversibly changed by their deeds, though what if there was a third to the duo? Gears begin to turn as another enters the fray. OC and AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER ONE: Look to The Future, Walk Towards The Past**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

_This is not fun anymore. _A little boy thought as he sat in a room, not even trying to escape his bindings.

The room was pitch black but he could see everything perfectly. As far as he knew, he was its only occupant and was in the far end of the room, tied to a lead pipe with even heavier chains. Normally, children in this situation would scream and panic, yet this child held a deathly calm about him, and like a practiced theologian, he just thought about what would happen next.

_Great, just great. I will be so dead if anyone knew where I was, and someone is bound to worry if I do not activate the stupid {I'm home button} older sister installed for me. How did this even go this far? I thought I would get to beat up some random street thugs, not end up actually getting kidnapped by pros. _He thought as he massaged his wrists for a while, an act of contemplation.

"I just need some idiot to open the door, then I'll go." He said to himself in an unusually confident tone for a ten year old in this situation, though he was far from ordinary.

He had been doing this for months now, trying out his body after rigorous self-imposed training. Just that week, it was the third time he was kidnapped, though these seemed more professional than any he encountered. It was as if they were well versed in making children's lives hell, and for that they would pay dearly.

As if by his will, the door creaked open, a smile forming on his face as light started to trickle in. In his mind were thousands of ways to, in no particular order, bifurcate, mutilate, incapacitate, castrate, suffocate, and finally knock out his captors, but he never got the chance. Instead he was forced to watch a scene far more appalling.

Before the emotionally scaring scene itself, he waited patiently as he heard the sound of footsteps, extremely far from his position but approaching very slowly. The sound of expensive leather slapping hard tiled floor was very comforting, as the volume was a telltale sign that he could wreck his vengeance.

His extremely heightened senses picked up everything in about a hundred meters, unfortunately footsteps weren't the only thing he was able to hear. The other sound forced him to hold back, as it invoked fury that would probably destroy most of the building complex. It was the heart wrenching sound of a little girl, probably his age or maybe even younger, crying.

_Control yourself Yukito, it not time yet. I have to adjust the plan a little then. This if I have to punish them, I can't do it in front of her, and I have to make sure that the building does not fall on top of us. Well at least this qualifies as an emergency situation._ He thought while mixed feelings consumed his mind.

First he was furious that they would do something like that, to a girl no less. Then he was disappointed that he could not take proper vengeance. Lastly, he was apprehensive, this was the first time he would ever try and save someone else aside from himself. It was not due to lack of trying, he just never found any company. The line of thought was abruptly stopped when the man entered the room, allowing light to flood in, blinding the boy.

He was happy he could not watch the suffering, but the sounds of the atrocity that echoed around the room and etching themselves into his memory, were enough to make him swallow the little he had in his stomach as it threatened to claw its way out. By her screams and the scratching of the floor, he easily picked up that she was pulled by the hair, and by the thud of flesh hitting tile, she was thrown onto the floor, like garbage. This was not enough to silence her as she continued weeping endlessly, the man's footsteps grimly edged closer and a bone chilling whisper snaked its way into his ears, filling his form with seething fury.

"Are we comfortable little girl? If it were not for your worth, you would be dead by now. That or slaving away at some unknown city" He said mockingly, as if he thoroughly enjoyed her pain.

A bloodcurdling chuckle that would fill children with fear just served to further enrage him, only logic stopped him from falling. The next sound shook him to the core, as a large smack echoed around the room. That was the last straw for him, he resolved to make that man pay one way or another, but not just yet. He was angry to say the least and when he was angry, he could make the Spanish donkey look like a horse ride on the beach.

It was several moments of torturous noise, as he listened to the man's murmurings before the welcomed sound of the door closing roused him. He decided to listen to the fading footsteps before taking any drastic action, and when he was satisfied with his distance, he pulled on his binds.

_Much too easy, and to think I let these guys take me down._ He thought as he shook of the chains that once bound him. He may have been tied down by solid steel chains, but it was as if he was shaking off a blanket that was too thin when he applied a little effort to break them.

Instead of letting it crash on the ground though, he managed to nimbly catch every link, not only to keep his new and terrified companion calm but to keep the room as silent as he possibly could. Satisfied with his work, he slowly walked towards her, making no sounds whatsoever, until he could get a good view of her. He hovered above her for a while before finally shrugging and kneeling close to her.

As a child of probably the same age, she was startlingly distressed, but that was to be expected in this situation. Her light celeste hair was in a mess, obviously due to the abuse she received, while her face was bathed in a river of tears, emanating from her burgundy red eyes that hid behind foggy glasses. Her face was surprisingly pale, just like the rest of her body, and that made the slap mark more obvious, even in the dark room. Two strange hairpins, hers obviously, were scattered on the floor, ripped from her head.

To get a better look, he gingerly lifted her chin, as they looked each other face to face. As soon as her eyes met his, a large gentle grin graced his lips, one that would have obviously made any girl blush if the circumstances were just a little less dire. She did quiet down immediately, just taking a moment to look and sink into his deep heterochromatic eyes, tinted black and gold twisted in a hypnotizing spiral. That moment of peace did not last long.

As soon as she regained her ability to move, for it seemed she was too busy crying to notice him and that apparently startled her, she opened her mouth to scream. Being much too used to this kind of reaction, Yukito quickly placed his hand of her mouth, as to stop the scream from being heard. If only the scream was supposed to come from her.

She bit down on his palm as soon as it made contact and it took all of his will power not to shout himself, instead a soft grunt escaped from his throat. He knew perfectly well that she would scream if he was to jerk his hand away, and that would spell either doom for the both of them, or killing whoever entered, and he wanted to avoid both. In response, he used the only sure technique that would silence her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. It was a movement of desperation and from his short experience, a hug from him would do nothing less that calm even the most maniacally insane.

"Don't worry, he's gone. I won't let him hurt you anymore." He said in a very reassuring whisper, a sound filled with such sweetness and sincerity it was almost palpable.

His siblings once told him that with a voice like his, he could ask for a country and get the world, and that charisma was paying off. Needless to say, it calmed her down enough for her to stop chomping on his hand. As soon as she quieted herself, he pushed his forehead against hers, to check if her temperature was normal. He then said the first thing that came to his mind when he got a proper look at her, while gingerly whipping her tears from her cheeks.

"You would look much prettier if you wore a smile." He said before showing a smile that practically lit up the entire room. Obviously, she ended up blushing as he gently stroked her hair, while he just tired his best to keep her sane. He knew that such a traumatic event would change anyone, so he tried to make it as pleasant as possible.

As soon as she was silent, he swung a sword, taken from its place beside him, down, cutting the rope that held her like it was as fragile as the air he breathed. He placed his finger over her mouth, and gestured her to remain in her place while he quickly moved for the door. He knew that there were a group of five men outside, but with his sword properly in his hand, it wouldn't have made a difference if there was an entire army behind him.

_This is the fun bit. I just hope she won't get hurt after this._ He thought as he cut the door in front of him in half and kicked the large pieces of metal forward, knocking out two guards who just happened to pass.

Capitalizing on their surprise, no one would expect a child coming at them at subsonic speed with a sword taller than them and not be afraid, he jumped out and struck another with the pommel of his sword with a force that could crush concrete, decimating his jaw and shutting his brain down. With the left over momentum, he stabbed the ground, the entirety of the blade sliding in as if it was greased, and used the long sword as a pivot, sweeping the other two before promptly striking their jaws, all in was simple movement consisting of two graceful spins.

With the grace of a break-dancer, he flipped upward, landing with the sword before him, only to see that all were as good as dead, their brains irresponsive due to being overloaded with terrible pain.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the girl came out, right after the fight was over. It was all of the best that she didn't witness that since he would have hated himself if he scared her. After surveying the five men sprawled helplessly before him once more, he twirled his sword a couple of times, shredding some of the concrete since the weapon was a bit taller than he was, and put it into a cloth sheath on his back, which surprisingly ended up unscathed.

He then took the girls hand, and started to move at a leisurely jog that if seen in another light, it would look like a pair of children playing innocently. He knew that they needed to move fast, as the skirmish was too loud not to drag any attention. They tore through the complex within minutes, as he had done this sort of thing several times in his life, and just one companion was not enough to hinder him.

As far as he could tell, the place was extremely large, but the layout was simple and spacious, allowing quick movement in between floors. It was most likely based on ports or warehouses since all the rooms were wide and spacious, a single corridor leading to each one. No one sighted them, or to be more specific it had appeared as if no one was looking for them so they were free to look for the exit, meeting no opposition at all. Though that would not last long as fate had a very twisted sense of humor.

"How big do you think this place is?" She asked timidly almost to herself, breaking the strange silence. He did not need to look back to see nervousness ad fear contorting her face, her shaking voice told him of these and then some. He did not blame her, he knew perfectly well how traumatic kidnappings could be and that was part of the reason he did this on purpose.

Experiencing this desensitized him to trauma in general thus he could control his instincts and act on pure logic if need be. This basically meant that he was levelheaded at all times, thinking of every possible way out before acting a single step. Coupled with his extreme intelligence, he could probably defeat supercomputers in chess games. With that, he knew approximately how large the complex was and with that knowledge, he just kept on running. He could not answer her as it was at this time that the sound of rushed footsteps echoed into his ears.

In haste he picked the girl up and started sprinting, not even noticing the furious blush on her cheeks. He looked for the nearest room, which happened to be a supply closet of all things. Thoroughly cursing the cliche and fate's very, very bad sense of humor, he pushed her inside and quickly followed in afterward, fully intending the guards to just pass by without noticing them.

Once inside the cramped space, he shielded her with his own body, his back turned towards her while his hands fiddled with the handle of his oversized sword. As they drew closer, he quickly turned to her and embraced her, his eyes silently apologizing and requesting she keep silent for the time being.

The reason was very practical, physical contact would probably calm her down a little, and if he drew the blade with his back facing her, she would have gotten cut. In that position, even if they do find them out, he would still have first blood if not undisputed victory. They were in this position for about five minutes before the footsteps were at an acceptable distance away.

"So what's your name?" He asked, breaking the silence with an extremely soft whisper. He was afraid of what the silence might do to her, as well as what could happen if someone were to hear his voice. He did not want to kill today, especially with an observer he had to protect.

"Kanzashi, Sarashiki Kanzashi." She said with a nervous whisper.

It was worse than he thought, she was sacred out of her wits. He had to do something about this and fast, it would not be nice to be with a person who just had a metal breakdown. It would weigh him with guilt all his life, which would also inevitably suffer since he would get outnumbered and quickly killed. He needed to cheer her up, so he decided to just run his mouth and hope for the best

"Nice to meet you Sarashiki-san, is what I would like to say if we were somewhere else. I'm Masamune Byakuya." He said a little unsure about the last pair of words. He had been calling himself by that name for the last two years but it would never be his own. It was though, much better than his own name so he used it at his leisure. He could never claim it be without some sort of telltale sign that it was a lie.

"So after we're done with all of this, how's about we play together sometime? I know a great playground near my place. So what do you say?" He said trying to lighten the mood, doing everything he could to try and make her laugh.

He did get a slight giggle from her, but it was all too obvious in his eyes. Her entre body screamed despair, and from the way she was forcing a small smile, it won't be long until it consumed her. She was leaning very close to the edge and with just a little more pushing, she would probably be forever broken.

He needed something, anything to give her hope, and that was when the rectangular object in his pocket came in to play. He hated that he always needed a lifeline to the outside world but this time, it saved a life. With a quick glance at the object to make sure it's still working, he spoke very calmly.

"Sarashiki-san," he said softly offering the object to her.

"Yes?" she answered startled, but it also seemed she was used to be referred to in such a formal way. If her fine clothing was any indication, he would say she was from a pretty high class family, ergo some people would be looking for her. That would make her life much easier, at the same time giving him a little more trouble. If they recognize him as a threat, then the choice is simple. He just carried out his plan so that it benefited both of them.

"I placed the volume as loud as it could go without anyone hearing." He said as he gingerly clasped her hands and forced the smart phone into her palm, "Call them up if you can, at least let them know you're safe. Your parents I mean. I'll just keep a lookout in case anyone passes by." He said with genuine concern in his eyes, and when anyone was confronted with such a look from him, they were simply compelled to obey.

It took her only a few seconds until she got the number in, and after a strange look for her, she pressed to call. The line was picked up instant, though the voice that came after was not something he would have expected.

[Hello?] A familiar, definitely feminine voice echoed through the cramped space, no it was definitely something neither of them seemed to expect. Soon after, soft static echoed through the phone before a smooth deep voice took over, with a less pleasant greeting. He knew who spoke before, how could he forget, though it would not be nice to get her attention as of yet. At that he kept silent, his ears back on the ground in case footsteps started to echo closer.

[Who is this, and how did you get this number?] The voice said much more threateningly, they were starting to miss the gentle voice of a young boy that filed the room before.

"I-I-It's m-me" She said with a very startling stutter. He would have liked go back to embrace her tighter because of the fear that she was flinging around the small confines of the room, but he kept his distance instead, as commonsense dictated.

He knew all the ways this would end, and he was just preparing for the most probable. The fragile silence, also their first lifeline, was soon shattered by two different things. Perhaps he would have some fun after all. _And now._

[Kanzashi!] They shouted, though it was now an incoherent blur to him. As soon as the air started vibrating around him defined as sound, he kicked down the door in front of him, throwing it off its hinges with ease.

Time started to slow down to such an extent that everything was suspended in place, moving so slowly that it was as if they were statues. Even the door did not leave its place too hastily, while he had all the freedom in the world.

As far as he could see, he casually walked towards the two guards he knew were guarding the hall, and promptly broke their jaws with frightening ease and walked back. When he deemed it was safe, his perception of time decided to return to normal, the gales caused by his movements tore through the wide corridor.

This was the result of his training, the ability to control his movements while moving at the pace reserved for the most extreme of reflexes. It allowed speeds and acceleration much faster than any sports car in the market in tandem with control and precision machines would envy.

_At least I was right about something. Now, I just hope no one was close enough to hear them fall. It would be bad if I took them out, and more just decide to walk in on us._ He thought to himself after the assault that took less than a second was over with.

He had mastered the ability to move and see faster than a normal human could dream of, but then again he knew the toll it took would manifest itself sooner or later, and that was not the best thing to feel. At the start, moving at such speed would overload his brain with shocks of pain but now he had a few hours before it hit him.

By his own reckoning and senses, he walked like a normal child while in front of others he was a barely visible blur, the unholy offspring of light and darkness with the speed of the former and the fearsome power and malevolence of the latter. He never even moved at full speed.

"Ask them to keep it as quiet as possible." He told Kanzashi gently, even if he knew how futile it is to stop a loving family from showing their concern. _What am I kidding, she's much noisier than that. Easier to fluster or worry too._ He noted, shuddering at the memory why she almost broke his eardrums with her "theme music".

[Oh, princess, are you hurt? Are you okay? Did the bad people do anything to you? Who are you with, and how did you escape?] Another voice yelled through the phone in between several sniffles and sobs. From the tone and volume of the voice, it could be inferred that it was her mother, and her reaction was very understandable. Unfortunately for them it could be attracting guards form other floors. Not that it was that loud, the place just had great acoustics. If only he was safe enough to sing here.

"Everything is fine now, mother" She said in a less harried tone, "I'm with another person, and he helped me escape. It's okay now so you don't need to worry. I'll try to be home in a while so you don't need to send another brigade like last time…"

A sound that did not please him drowned her voice out with its overpowering volume. He recognized it instantly and reactivated his ability. As to properly execute the blueprint in his mind, he had to time it just right, something he was always good at.

The transonic bullets were deflected by the large five foot sword that sprung up in front of him, its wide blade providing just enough cover while its tip tore through the concrete like it was water. He mentally thanked any and all gods that they were firing transonic projectiles, his extremely sensitive ears and enhanced instincts could pick them up before they would hit. If they were using fully automatic rifles then he might have started to miss.

_They're shooting? Now they have the nerve to try and shoot us? No, you do not just kidnap a child, then try to kill him, or her, it doesn't matter! That is not cool anymore. No more holding back, this ends now!_ He cursed in his thoughts as he jumped in between the rain of burning lead and the girl. He would not let these scum of society hurt either of them, a goal he had both the skills to achieve this goal and the tenacity to destroy all who got in his way.

"Stay behind me." He said while submachine gun fire rained down on them, only to be knocked out of the air by the flat of his large sword, ending up as useless pieces of lead on the floor. The scene unfolding was straight out of a movie, several gunmen hopelessly shooting at a pair of children, one of which is deflecting the transonic projectiles with ease, as if they were traveling no faster than an old tortoise.

The sword was practically turned into a steel wall, leaving afterimages behind as it swatted all the lead projectiles while its wielder stood rooted to his position. Each movement was graceful _and_ certain, all his strikes supremely efficient yet devoid of any hesitation. He only had to make sure none of the bullets passed his blade to win the fight as it was only a matter of time until the submachine gun clips ran out and the sword could taste blood again.

All seven guns clicked to signal the need to reload while a smile that would make the devil shudder crept across his lips.

He rushed at them with extraordinary speed while they could only blink in shock as he closed the distance in a blink of an eye. One tried to flee before taking a gun to the head, while the rest held their ground, confident they were enough. Other than the coward, all six of them charged at the same time, hoping to overpower him with numbers.

This did not work as he merely spun like a top, striking them all with the flat of the seemingly heavy blade while weaving through their ranks, knocking the air out of their lungs. As three fell, their heads crashed against the floor, rendering the need for a follow-up useless.

The other three though quickly rose to the challenge, a futile action, only find a heavy foot cleaving the air towards their heads. A single roundhouse kick going in a full circle dispatched the remaining assailants with ease. The entire battle was a one-sided beat down, ending when the victor nodded in satisfaction before casually walking back to the young lady who was still staring at him in either shock, awe, or a combination of both.

[Were those guns? Were you shot?] The deeper voice of the father demanded frantically, snapping her out of the state of shock. Frankly, He had each and every right to be extremely worried at this point.

"Please calm down, father." He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her voice regain a sense of normalcy, though only to such a small degree. "It's all right now, the fight just ended. Byakuya-kun saved me again."

[Wait, that's the name of the one who was kidnapped with you, correct? And he fought roughly four armed kidnappers, and won?]

"Yes, about seven men go in our way. I found him in the same room I was thrown in. He was the one who got us out of every situation safely, I would not be talking to you if it was not for him." She said with a relived smile, not that her parents could see it. He saw it though and that was enough to quell his worries if only for a moment.

[Is that so? Then we are forever in his debt.]

"This way." He interjected when a room at the far end of the hall entered his line of sight.

They had been walking for a while since the last clash with the kidnappers, though it was obvious they were learning, if slowly, how dangerous it could be to fight him. It was only a matter of time till they bring weapons not even a master of the sword could take down. He was fully prepared for that, though he doubted he could defend himself _and_ the girl if that came to pass. With that in mind, he doubled his pace.

As soon as they entered the dark and much more spacious room, he stood in front of the door. He locked the heavy door shut and he knew it was just a matter of time when it came to these kind of people. He had pulled himself into a corner, for a last stand. It was just such a shame he had to drag another here.

"We are at a dead end, for now." He said with a reassuring smile, and a voice that hinted he thought the entire situation was even funny. "If I'm right, it's just a matter of time before they storm the place with everything they have. Just leave it to me, I'll get you out of here." He smiled as he paced around the room.

"Byakuya, are you alright?" She asked him worriedly, which he just answered with a wave of his hand, and an even brighter smile.

"Talk to your parents first, then you can worry about me. They miss you more than I do anyway." He ended with that useless joke before pulling out another phone from his pocket.

As he slowly entered the numbers he imagined how the other would react upon hearing his voice, it did not look pretty nor did it end well for him. The one on the other end of the phone tended to be a bit, eccentric, though he knew she would turn bloodthirsty if it involved him being in danger. And so with a sigh, he placed the phone to his ear. That was the exact moment everything went to hell in the most terrific way possible.

The scene faded to black in a heartbeat as his body seemed to float in the darkness. His once standing form was molded to match one's posture when falling asleep on a desk, admittedly it was his default position during his grade and middle school years. With his arms crossed on whatever he was lying on and his face buried in the cross, his skin picked up light changes in temperature and his nose sensed a change in the air.

_I was dreaming again, wasn't I? The kidnapping incident was one of the best times of my life as a kid, so thrilling and the first time I found a companion. I thought I heard a third cry out when those seven assholes started to open fire but I had to get her to safety first. Wait, I have a tendency to dream about something related to what I last saw, heard or smelled, so that must mean…_He thought before a single, storm gray eye opened to see the world around him. It took him a just a few words to summarize his entire situation, _I'm in hell, again._

This is a Page Break

"…a-san, Ichika-san, Orimura Ichika-san, ORIMURA ICHIKA-SAN!" A green-haired teacher yelled at the boy who spaced out beside him.

The teacher was, not the perfect image of a teacher in his opinion, looking more like one of the older students who just forgot her uniform. Her light green hair was cut to neck lengths while her hazy green eyes hid behind large glasses, further imposing the childish look. She wore a short sleeved yellow dress that was decorated with black trimming. She wore it well, though he had a bit of trouble not looking like a pervert seeing it showed her, assets, off pretty brazenly.

"Y-yes! Orimura Ichika present!" He shouted with a slight stutter, instantly standing in attention and visibly startled by the teacher's repeated calling.

The boy was of average height, probably a bit shorter than he was by a few centimeters give or take, and average appearance. His black hair was spiked sideward while his body language screamed, "I have no idea what I'm doing here." The strangest thing about him was his eyes, stained a dark crimson like the girl in his dream.

Yukito didn't really react much, as far as crazy eye colors are concerned, he took the cake when he removed his contact lenses. What did trouble him was the fact that he seemed much more idiotic than thought possible, but that was probably because the other twenty nine people in the room were strictly female, and if he was not mistaken, the poor sap thought he was a girl too.

It wasn't that hard to make such a mistake, Yukito's looks almost always had people pondering on his gender. With immaculate cream hair that flowed a few inches past his chest and a very delicate facial structure with absolutely no trace of definite masculinity or femininity. Coupled with pale skin, a slender build and bright eyes, though they're only contacts, it is extremely easy to mistake him for a female.

In the case of relying on the uniform to identify his gender, it was very possible to have one altered. Most students wore the standard type but some did choose to personalize theirs. That and the two boys weren't the only students in the academy who chose to forgo a skirt. If it was in another time and place, he would be extremely insulted to the point of wanting to beat everyone around him senseless, though as his steel eyes shone mischievously, he decided to have some fun with this situation.

"S-sorry for calling your name out so loudly but Orimura-san wasn't responding earlier…. Are you angry at me? I'm really sorry! B-but we are doing self-introductions now and we are at the surnames starting with O's now…. S-so can you introduce yourself? P-please?" The teacher, Yamada Maya quickly apologizes as she leans in and puts her hand together in a pleading fashion.

_How in the world this, this child get this job?_ Yukito thought as he watched the scene from a seat away.

"There's no need to apologize. I mean, it's just a self-introduction, right? So please calm down, sensei. I just zoned out a bit, that's all." he said, raising his hands in a chaotic attempt to calm down an equally frantic teacher. It didn't help, at all.

"Re-really? Really, really? O-okay, then please go right ahead and introduce yourself." She said cheerfully, grabbing his hand, earning the stares of everyone in the room, and practically throwing him to the stage. Yukito felt for the guy, though he couldn't say he didn't enjoy his suffering. The way he turned around to face the entire class and the face he made for a split second when he met a flood of palpable curiosity was almost sidesplitting. He seemed to swallow nervously before a shaken voice broke the unpleasant silence.

"My name is Orimura Ichika, nice to meet you all…" he began halfheartedly, and took a bow. _That's it?_ The entire class collectively thought while continuing to gaze at the boy in front with a combination of curiosity and expectations. He took a deep breath in preparation before speaking. "That's all."

As soon as those words reached the reached the ears of everyone in the room, all the girls collapsed, slumping on their chairs, heads crashing on their desks while some even ended up with a face full of floor wax.

Maya beside him was on the verge of tears, mumbling incoherently as the girls struggled to pick themselves up.

On the other hand, while trying his very best to stop his laughter from escaping his throat the other boy was almost convulsing on his desk. Ichika did not disappoint, him at least, and he thought the first day of this hell would be just awkwardness all around.

In all the chaos, no one noticed the second teacher sneak in the room, no one save the only other boy in the room. At the sight of her, he immediately shook off his mirth in favor of his usual emotionless calculations. _This will be a good year indeed, both the brother and sister are in place._ He smiled wickedly before standing and falsely tripping, knocking the blockhead beside him aside before a heavy fist could connect to his skull.

As he sat up from the floor, he got a better look at the slightly surprised teacher. A tight fitting business suit and a black skirt befitting a CEO of a company or a high ranking government official hugged her form nicely, showing of a slender form that bellied her immense strength. Long black hair flowed until her lower back, tied into a ponytail while a pair of fierce orange eyes alternated from him to the other boy left standing. A deep scowl plastered itself on her face while she let out a sigh, most likely due to the fact that both the boys were acting like total idiots, and as the teacher she would have to deal with that.

Yukito was very satisfied with his work, not only saving his seatmate from a heavy hit on the head, he had felt the shockwave of the punch, but shutting the entire class up. Though it did give the pair all the attention, it would mostly land on Ichika due to Yukito's neutral appearance. All his effort from the former was in vain though. As Ichika turned to face his would be attacker, pure shock forced a single name out of his mouth. "Chifuyu-nee?!"

A loud crash echoed through the room as her fist connected with his skull, ending with the boy in the fetal position on the floor, clutching his head while he trembled in fear. "Call me Orimura sensei at school, idiot," She stated mercilessly before her eyes shifted to the one still sitting on the floor.

A stern gaze met a gentle smile as she addressed the boy's savior. "And what do you think you're doing?" The tone of her voice and her body language threatened told him that he would be floored so much more viciously if she didn't like his answer. Fortunately though, he was a brilliant speaker as long as logic was involved.

"Sorry, Sensei." He said as he stood, his voice pitch modulated as if to seem like a female's. It wasn't as hard as one might think as his voice was low enough to be considered male but high enough to be female so he needed to elevate the pitch a little. "I just thought that since my name was next, I thought I should just get it over with. I stood, tripped and accidentally knocked him aside but thankfully I was the only one who fell. On a side note, I thought I should just get him off the stage. Guys do have to stick together after all."

He paused, pulling a single silver clip from his pocket and expertly folding his hair around it, shortening so impossibly that it ended just above his shoulders. That was when everyone was overcome with shock as the divine looking girl was turned into a long-haired boy. No matter how many times he did it in front of people, he couldn't help but laugh at their reaction.

"My name's Sumeragi Yukito, a pleasure meeting you all." he resumed, his voice normal once more, "Sorry for the trick, Orimura-san, I just really wanted to see how you would fare if you were the only boy here." He concluded with a graceful bow before returning to his seat, leaving the entire class in a state of shock and awe.

Everyone was still in a state of stupor until Maya spoke up. "Orimura-sensei, is the meeting over?"

That seemed to be enough to snap everyone out of it since the room regained its old atmosphere, not like that was any better for the pair up front. "Yes, Yamada-kun. Sorry for forcing you to make these kids introduce themselves, especially this one." She said with a much gentler tone before taking the stage as well.

"No, it's fine. As the assistant homeroom teacher, I should be able to handle the class from time to time." The tears and the shock vanished, and assistant homeroom teacher Maya snapped to attention for Chifuyu. She seemed a bit more mature now though not by much.

Chifuyu acknowledged her with a nod before addressing the class with her thunderous voice. "Listen up, everyone. My name is Orimura Chifuyu and I've been tasked to train all of you in the operations and controls of an IS. I expect each and every one of you to remember and comprehend what I will be teaching, no exceptions. To those who don't understand a subject, I will teach it to you again and again until it is engrained into your mind. My job here is to thoroughly train you during your first year in the academy. I don't care if none of you like me but I will not tolerate disrespect and disobedience. Understand?"

Now under normal circumstances, all the students would be scared out of their wits but like all things in the IS Academy, the teachers are far from normal. It was not a surprised that instead of a bunch of scared little girls crying of out of fear, the shirking of the force of nature more popularly known as the "Fan Girl" resounded around the room.

"EEEEEK! It's Chifuyu-sama! It's Chifuyu-sama herself in real life!"

"I've always been your fan!"

"You inspired me to come to this school all the way from North Kyushu, onee-sama!"

"I came all the way from southern Hokkaido!"

"I'm so happy Chifuyu-sama is my teacher!"

"I'll gladly die for you, Chifuyu-sama!"

The woman in question didn't even bother to look at the crazed females, opting to bury her face into her palm as if she had headache coming on. ""I'm amazed how many nut-jobs come to this school every year. I guess I should be used to this, seeing as this is the nth time this happens. Do they put all the loons in my class on purpose? Why? What did I do to deserve this?" She mumbled to herself before an exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

It took her while to get them all settled down before she faced her brother, who was enough of an idiot to remain standing throughout the entire ordeal. "So you can't even manage to introduce yourself to a class without help? Why am I not surprised?"

"Chifuyu-nee..." He managed to get that out before having his head smashed against his desk.

"Call. Me. Orimura. Sensei." She demanded, each word bringing more of her weight into her palm as she pinned Ichika's head to his desk.

"Yes, Orimura-sensei." He relented quickly, suffering too much for a single morning. It was only after calling her "Chifuyu-nee" that many times that the girls in the class finally put two and two together and they began to do what girls their age always do in these situations; they started to gossip.

"Huh? That would mean that Orimura-kun is Chifuyu-sama's younger brother, right?"

"Then, could that have something to do with him being the only male in the world that can use the IS!?"

"Probably, but then Sumeragi-kun is here too, so it can't just be because of that? If it was then where did Sumeragi-kun get the ability from? That name was never heard off!"

"That can't be the case either since that would mean that every male born within the last fifteen years is a candidate!"

It only took a few moments before the most powerful pilot in the world had enough. "Be quiet!" Chifuyu finally yelled before the class descended into silence once more. The bell rang before she could scold them more so she just left them with much less venomous words than the ones that would have followed.

"Oh my, the student homeroom meeting is over. Class, over the next six months you'll be memorizing the basics of IS specs, controls, readouts, and all other fundamentals. After that, it will be practical training. You'll have half a month to master the basic maneuvers and let them become like reflexes, then we'll work our way from there. If you understand, answer 'Yes, ma'am!' Even if you don't, say it anyway. I expect a response whenever I make announcement!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Yukito along with the rest of the class said before looking back at Ichika, who seemed to be zoning out again despite the danger to his health. It was only a matter of time before another strike would come.

It did after a few seconds.

"SIT DOWN, YOU FOOL!"

And that was how the first period of hell ended for the two boys, one with a mischievous grin playing on his lips while the other was nursing his aching head.

This is a Page Break

"Yukito, right?" Ichika asked timidly, turning towards the white-haired prince a bit awkwardly. In reply, the latter brought out a smile so sublime that all the girls who were there to witness it started to turn into a shade normally reserved for tomatoes, though neither noticed the multitude of girls swooning around them.

"Yes, and what can I do for you Ichika?" Yukito said welcomingly, trying his best to seem as friendly and approachable as possible. He did leave this other boy in hell for a few minutes so conversing with him was the least he could do as recompense. Besides, it was very comforting to know that there was a guy around to talk too, for better or worse.

"I just wanted to come and say hi, maybe have a quick chat." He replied more naturally, flashing a smile that paled in comparison. "So how do you like it here, being in the legendary IS academy where all the other students are supposed to be girls? Feels like heaven right?" He asked, the last question subtly more sarcastic than natural.

"Very funny, Ichika-san." He said with another one of his melodious laughs, more akin to skillful striking of piano strings than the vibration of the throat. "If anything, it's more like self-imposed solitary confinement. You can't talk to anyone because they either avoid you or you avoid them. You end up lonely and depressed due to lack of human communication then go insane until someone works up the nerve to talk to you, considering anyone has enough guts to before you turn insane. It's never fun to converse with loons."

"And for the second question, I also have a friend who said this would be the time of my life. No it's not fun, but at least it's not as bad as we both expected." He said with a wry smile, and a charming laugh. "I meant to ask you, but how did you get here? Last time I checked, only women had to go through this kind of hell. I mean really, a pair of guys in an all-girl's school? What were these people thinking?"

"I can relate to that. As to why I'm here, it's kind of a long story. So prepare yourself for a wild ride" He took a breath before explaining his situation. "It was the middle of February, basically the time for high school entrance exams. Since I was a third-year, off I went to the examination center. Due to some serious cheating case last year, the government would only announce the location of each school's entrance exams two days before the actual examination took place. Way over the top, if you ask me, but what could I say? I was only a third-year student. So, I wallowed in bitterness as I trudged towards the place." He said as his story began to change him, making him unaware that it was dragging too long.

"Ideally, I wanted to get into the Private School near my house, a school that was above average in the quality of education, and also had an annual school festival, whoop de do! Most important, though, was that the school's fees are really reasonable exceptionally inexpensive. That's because 90% of the graduates are employed by the school's corporation. The company offers lots of wonderful jobs, and they're all nearby to boot. I wouldn't have to worry about zipping off to a different, out-of-the-way place every other day…" He was cut off by a hand and protests from the white-haired boy.

"Whoa, can we get to the IS part already, this is starting to sound like your entire life story. Just cut to the chase already." Yukito cried in exasperation as Ichika's story seemed to drag on and on. He was starting to regret having asked the question in the first place. Lucky for him, Ichika obliged.

"Well I kind of got lost in the school and entered a room with an IS in it. Some lady dragged me to the changing room and had me mount the thing before I could say no. Next thing I know, another IS pops up and tries to kill me, and it took a while for them to realize I was a guy. A few weeks later, I'm here, with you apparently." Ichika's story finally met its end while Yukito feigned slumber. With a quick tap, he was up and grinning like a madman.

"See was that so hard?" Yukito playfully mocked him before letting out a lighthearted laugh "Here's to being in hell." He added, raising his fist and pointing it to the black-haired boy. When no action was taken, coupled by the confused look he received, Yukito quickly explained the gesture. "You hit it."

Ichika just laughed, more out of embarrassment than mirth, and responded appropriately by striking the boy's fist with his own before answering his own question. "I know right? Seriously, what was Dan thinking saying this place was like heaven?" He laughed with a noticeable bitter undertone before continuing.

"An old friend of mine decided to pop back up and what does she do the second she sees me? She turns away and pretends to look out the window. Is that the attitude I deserve from a childhood friend after we haven't seen each other for six years? By heartless and cold glares _and_ the cold shoulder? Does she hate me now?" He said in a quiet voice that only the two could hear but with enough emotion that he could understand where he was coming from. On Ichika's part, it was very relieving finding out he _wasn't_ the only boy in the godforsaken island the world dubbed the IS Academy, and talking about it helped him.

At first Yukito almost felt pity on his fellow man, or boy, but as soon as he saw a girl with brown hair tied up in a ponytail, a sly smirk spread on his face. "I'm assuming you friend's name is Dan, right?" As he received a quick nod in reply he continued.

"Then that's one thing we have in common, our friends are idiots." He paused, caught in a fit of laughter that threatened to drag the entire class with him. Even Ichika's supposed friend smiled a little before continuing her approach.

"I don't think you have to worry about your friend though." He said, nudging his head in her direction before literally pushing him out of his seat with enough force to propel him just a few inches away from her. "You two have your heartfelt reunion now!" he said with a very suggestive tone as the two exited the room.

_Okay, that wasn't so bad. We actually have some similarities so relating with him is easier than expected. Still it would be hard to actually make it here without friends so I guess one would do for the moment._ He thought before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tripod and gingerly placed it on top of his desk.

After pushing a single button located below the tripod, he donned a pair of glasses and a keyboard projected itself before him. Observing from the front, he looked like he merely staring at the strange device, but from behind the glasses, his vision faltered and changed.

What once was a classroom in the IS academy soon became a simple room with plain whitewashed walls and a glass table for three. Even the large crowd of young school girls disappeared, leaving him at a table for three with a pair of exquisitely beautiful young women.

The one to his left looked his age, possibly younger as she sat across him, dressed in a simple low-cut black top with a plain white undershirt and a short beige skirt that hugged her body quite nicely, revealing quite an attractive figure. Slender arms lead to a pair of dainty hands, gasping a cup of tea and a saucer below it, while a pair of long and shapely legs crossed themselves under the crystal clear table. A simple black choker contrasted against the beautifully pale porcelain skin of her neck while a genuinely happy smile played on her lips as she sipped her beverage.

Long white hair that curved slightly outwards flowed unbound like a river of the purest starlight, a pair of shorter locks framed her immaculately elegant face while a single thin tress sat in the center, curving like a snake just between her eyes. She seemed to suffer from the same disorder he hid as the rich blue orbs he stared into carried a blend of light violet, indigo and cyan arranged like layers of sand in a jar, though hers seemed to coalesce naturally, further increasing her allure.

She looked positively divine as she sat beside him looking at him with eyes brimming with innocent curiosity, not unlike that of a child. She looked like she was prepared to burst with an abundance of questions, though the other woman beside him seemed to rein her in with just a glance.

If the one to his left possessed beauty so sublime that it could make all the angels above and below fall for her, the one to his right was infinitely more empyreal in comparison. She looked older than the two though, probably in her late teens and was dressed in a white long-sleeved dress shirt under a long sleeved button up jacket and a pair of loose pants that left much to the imagination, in contrast to her more daring white-haired companion. Her covered arms rested on the table while her soft hands covered each other, what he recalled as her default position when she was waiting.

A single string of crystals hung around her neck, as he smiled a little more, seeing they wore the gifts he got them on their respective birthdays. Her hair was a river as dark as the hair of the other two was light, though it reflected the light in such a way that it seemed to possess a glossy sheen. The long tresses framed her face while the rest of her hair parted just above her right eye, revealing a face that could charm even the most hateful of men and the most maleficent of demons. Her eyes were deep pools of crimson, though like his own they were just contacts to hide their apparently shared heterochromia.

"So Onii-chan," The white-haired beauty began at a speed he didn't expect, much too slow. "How's your first day of school? Did you make any new friends? Were the lessons hard? Did you get into a fight with anyone yet? Did you beat her to a pulp? Why did you even fight a girl in the first place? Onii-chan is so mean…" Then she started hammering him with all the questions she had behind her. The other just shook his head while Yukito raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay Mitsuko-chan, that's enough questions for now." The black-haired goddess said with a very slight giggle. "Your impossibly handsome Onii-chan just finished his first class, so not that much happened yet. You would have to save your questions for later tonight, okay?" She ended with a smile that was just impossible to say no too. It was not a smile that bellied any subtle threat but a beam of pure angelic radiance that any form resistance would just seem too negative. She then turned to the boy, "You will call tonight right, Yukito?" She said with the same powerful expression. Needless to say, there was no room for argument.

"Yes and thank you, Mayumi-nee." He said, exhausted if his voice and the fact that he accepted the compliment were of any indication, before facing his little sister, Mitsuko. "And to answer some of you questions, my first class was not so bad. I'm in good terms with the other boy here, though the girls seem to not want to speak to me for some reason. The lessons were very basic but still complicated. If I didn't read that phonebook they call a manual, I would have fallen apart after the first few minutes. No I didn't get in a fight, and I hope I would never get into a fight, so that takes care of the last two questions."

_Some things never change, she's still as energetic as ever. I think she would be able to power the IS without a proper core, not just pilot it. _He mentally commented on her being an abnormally powerful dynamo as he let out at tired sigh.

"As expected from Onii-chan, still a perfect gentleman though and though." Mitsuko paused slightly before releasing the rest of her statement, this time with a wry smile shining on her face. "Or is it because you're afraid of losing to a girl in a fight? That's understandable too, since you never really win whenever we spar." She stated casually before looking to the eldest of the three. "Isn't that right, Onee-sama?"

Mayumi's smile just grew a little wider before she replied in a very motherly voice. "No, Mitsuko-chan, I'm afraid you're wrong there. Yukito-kun just never uses any more than a quarter of his full potential whenever you two get into a scuffle. He just doesn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, sweetie, so that makes him a true gentleman. He should learn to stop though, people might think he's just too proud to use his full power and pride usually comes before a fall. Still whenever he fights me, I don't see anything wrong with the amount of power, thought and effort he puts in every move. He's pretty much perfect as a fighter just the way he is and I pity anyone who would get on his bad side." With a gracious smile, she directed the last few statements at her brother, who quickly nodded and replied.

"That's not true. No matter how much, I try I still can't beat you in a fair fight, Onee-sama. Be it with a sword, gun or even an entire army, you're still better than me at everything. Well except baking but that's just because you're too lazy to learn!" The boy interjected, rendering his eldest sister's argument that he was perfect moot.

"Well of course you won't be able to beat me in anything. I am the eldest for a reason and that is to protect the both of you form harm weather you like it or not. Last time I checked, baking isn't a skill you need to provide for a family and in what reality could you cook better than me?" She smiled, silencing him once more before he could even voice his rebuttal. No, that wasn't quite right, he was silenced because he lacked a proper rebuttal. All of that was true, it was only in the more mundane things that they eclipsed her.

"Aw, Onee-sama always ruins our fun, right Onii-chan?" The youngest said in a complacent tone, pouting cutely at the eldest before turning to the brother. "Anyways, let's get down to business, shall we?" She asked, her voice cheerful voice now likened to a controlled but beautiful soprano. As all at the table nodded in agreement, the youngest among them continued.

"The development and assembly on several of the special shields you requested is almost complete so all that's left is the melee weapon, the specialized autocannon, and your extensive thruster system. Honestly, I don't know why you need three barrels on that thing but with basically infinite ammo, Onee-sama thinks you're wasting the opportunity." She received a relatively soft hit to the shoulder, courtesy of Mayumi before the eldest herself continued for her.

"Regarding that, you should really grasp the opportunities when you can, but judging from the theoretical fire rate of that monster and your proclivity for breaking said theoretical barriers, I say it's just a little less than what I expected from you." She said with a radiant smile that effectively held back the embarrassment she felt when her youngest sibling said that out loud. She was a firm believer in the quote, "There is no kill like overkill!" so needless to say, her own personal designs, when used effectively, left absolutely no hope of victory for whoever she was fighting.

"Though I have to hand it to you, that was one of the most effective thruster and defense systems I have ever laid eyes on, and that's considering who you're named after. But we digress, if you do not get into a fight in the next few days for fitting and optimization, we will summon you in the dead of night for a quick battle, just so you reach First Shift before you actually need it. The progress aside, why in the world did you want your suit so big?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a look that wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You'll have to wait after a school sanctioned battle or our own training match for the answer to that one, but let's just say I need the added mass for proper stabilization. It took hours to complete the plans for the thruster system and when it reaches full blast, I need all the surface area I can get. Even after I increased speed the Passive Inertia Control can negate in excess of a thousand fold, I will need a massive amount the coverage to use my thrusters at peak efficiency, without sacrificing mobility or safety." He said with a wry smile immediately continuing as soon as he saw his sibling return the expression.

"Yes, Mitsuko, I will virtually turn into a battering ram if all goes well and when you factor in the fact that maneuverability is not sacrificed even after achieving maximum acceleration, I don't think I need a weapon anymore."

"Yes, all well and good Onii-chan, but best a bit more careful when you use it. This suit isn't like any normal IS anyone can just pilot. Because of the size, the mobility is a bit subpar before you get used to it and before during formatting, its size causes massive stress on your body and mind as you move it. It will feel like moving the entire suit without the PIC at first, but it'll get better after that. Your first battle will undoubtedly be your hardest one." She said with a grim sense of foreboding ill-suited to her.

"Regarding the thrusters, knowing you, I can already tell that fully utilizing your thruster system will end up being a last resort." The youngest cheekily rebutted after he basically read her mind.

"It's not like you lose all mobility if you decide to keep those beasts hidden, so you will probably only use them when you run out of ideas, or just plain angry. If that's the case, then why did you make them at all? You never run out of contingency plans, even after _that_ incident, and that was the only time we've ever seen you truly angry but even then you weren't angry enough to kill!"

"Well you're right about one thing, Mitsuko-chan, it is my last resort. With virtually untouchable speed, an absolute defense, and sure-hit, one-shot weaponry, even Onee-sama would be hard-pressed to keep up with me, and the only reason she wouldn't be defeated immediately is her suit's sensor is powerful enough to detect me even when I'm moving at my maximum speed. We all know that once Mayumi-nee can see a target, it's already dead. Poor, poor Orimura sensei" He argued back as the younglings nodded solemnly.

"True, at the speeds you'll be going at full blast, no one would be able to see you coming before you end up hitting them, but then you would have to switch to melee weaponry since you travel faster than any of your projectiles." She cut in as the youngest resorted to cutely sticking her tongue at the middle child.

"As far as your absolute defense is concerned, it will be like holding a black hole in front of you when you use it at its most powerful. Though two was a bit much since one could easily fit five suits behind it, not counting the six indestructible bulwarks you call thrusters. Your close combat weaponry is pretty good too, though I doubt your teacher would be impressed. Speaking of the woman, in my defense, I'm sorry, I didn't think she only had one weapon. If I knew, I wouldn't have taken it from her." She grumbled humorously before turning serious again.

"To incorporate the swords into hip cannons was genius and a double sword strike, coupled with the space distortion would kill any pilot, even with Absolute barrier on. And to think you developed all of this after you saw a simple metal fan a madman called a time machine, I'm so proud." She said, wiping a single tear away as it threatened to fall.

He would have said something to refuse her excessive praise but the tolling of the bells signaled his departing. The glasses soon reverted to being completely transparent while the keyboard he used to type in messages that were eventually voiced, to avoid leaking information about his suit and looking like he was talking to himself of course, disappeared completely.

With a fond smile, he folded up the small tripod, removed his glasses and quickly pocketed both. _I'll never hear the end of it when I call again tonight, but at least I would never get smacked on the upside of the head any time soon._

A large smack caused him to stir, his head suddenly twisting to the source of the sound, the poor sap who got on the teacher's bad side. It was his brother in hell, Orimura Ichika, again, for the fourth time in a row. Really, he was the only person in the room getting hit since morning. The demon, no wait, not even those things are that heartless when it came to their own kin, then spoke, her voice like an avalanche. "Why, in the name of any and all gods, are you still standing up?"

Just watching the scene made him shudder at the thought of what his own siblings would do to him after the quick cutoff. _This will not end well. _He thought, fully realizing what kind of predicament they were thrust into.

**AN**

**And that's the first chapter.**

**this is my first fic if you don't notice so please forgive any mistakes and shortcomings. About the similarities with other authors if there is any, its purely coincidental, though just PM me and show me the story so i can give you the credit due. I decided to write this based on the light novels and the anime so please point out anything if you guys find something wrong.**

**Due to several prompts, I decided to edit it a bit and cut the chapters so that it would be an easier read.**

**Oh and if you think Yukito is a bit too OP, it will be explained in later chapters.**

**Please Review!**

**See ya**


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER TWO: Continuation of a Dream**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

_Must, not, react. God help me, I must, not react to what is happening! Damn it Ichika, stop looking like I total idiot. If I was in the back then maybe I could enjoy the show but I can't laugh here!_ Yukito thought, at war with himself as the boy beside him continued to look as clueless as a, well, a bull in a china shop. Not as chaotic and destructive but nonetheless just as hysterical.

Normally, he would be barreling on the floor whenever a classmate acts like this but for the moment he had to keep his laughter bottled up, lest the devil herself decide to take action. Nope, he didn't want to die just yet, especially at her hands.

Though the man of the hour seemed to also be a glutton for punishment, flipping through the pages like his life depended on it. On the outside, it would look like he was a speed reader, not that rare since most if not all the students here could process an abundance of information at a short time, but his eyes were dead giveaways. And not just his eyes, his entire body spoke volumes of his mood, though the most obvious signs were in his countenance.

Those orbs where clouded with grief and confusion, it was clear that he had no idea what was going on, frantically trying to absorb as much information as possible while failing at it, badly. He was even throwing several glances at the girl beside him, but definitely not to check her out. Nope, he found the dame's notebook much more interesting.

Though Yukito was hard pressed to follow the lesson himself, though for a completely different reason. He was utterly, unambiguously, unconditionally, unquestionably, completely, absolutely bored out of his dear mind.

The speech the teacher was giving could be as eloquent as Shakespearean sonnet or angelic song or as accurate as an encyclopedia but the content was just plain uninteresting to such an extent that it practically fried his usually patient brain. He would have been worried if he didn't already know all the information so well, he could teach the class if forced. Wait, he was worried, though for the boy next to him.

It was hard for Yukito to suppress a chuckle when she finally spoke. "Is something wrong?" Her voice was weak and shaky, probably due to the fact that something far worse than the devil is but a mere few feet away, but she also forced a smile to be polite. Very admirable, though it was as if she was expecting him to say something.

"Ah, no, it's nothing. Sorry." The idiot apologized instead of asking for help. Another sigh escaped his lips as he quietly lamented.

_You should have at least asked her about one thing. It doesn't have to be everything but there is such a thing as getting lucky, you twit! If you try to sink this by admitting you don't know everything, I swear I'm going to beat you so badly, your sister would seem like heaven._ Though in his mind, he knew he would join him in a heartbeat if he did make such a stupid mistake. Their fates were sealed and now entwined so if they were going down, they would go down slowly and end with a bang, not a whimper.

"Oh… Okay then." She said with a fine mixture of relief and disappointment in her voice. It wasn't as soft as the last time so it inevitably lead to a direct confrontation with a teacher. Lucky for him though, Maya was teaching this particular class.

"Do you have any questions Orimura-kun?" As if he couldn't get any stupider, he visibly paled and gaped for a few moments when she approached, telling her all she needed to know. "Well, if you do have a question, feel free to ask. I am the teacher you know?" She declared, puffing her chest out in confidence.

It seemed to work since his quivering hand was soon rising. "Yamada-sensei?" He began, his own voice quivering as he spoke.

"Yes, Orimura-kun?" She asked very enthusiastically, as if to encourage him to voice his concern. _I don't like where this is going_. Yukito thought in the sidelines, merely waiting to make a fool out of himself for his friend's sake.

"I can't understand anything!" There it was, the signal that everything is about to go downhill for the both of them, ending spectacularly with as notebook to the head. The proclamation was even enough to break Maya's façade of confidence while drawing an angry glare from Chifuyu.

"No-none, none of it? None of it at all?" Maya was beginning to stutter again, quickly turning stiff. "Does anyone else have any problems at this point?" She asked the entire class, raising her own hand to prompt the class. The reply she initially received was cold silence, before a single hand was raised beside the boy; Sumeragi Yukito found himself in the same boat as Orimura Ichika. Then the predicted outcome began to unfold.

"Orimura, Sumeragi, did either of you read the reference manual provided before school started?" The demon known as Chifuyu or Orimura-sensei asked coldly, but with a tone indicating she already knew their answers, and didn't like them one bit.

"Was it the large one?" He asked honestly, though to Yukito, it looked like he was just trying to prolong the inevitable. It seemed that the teacher thought the same thing as her eyes narrowed dangerously, prompting her brother to hurry up.

"Yes, I remember giving it to you personally and telling you that it was required to read." She said, as if daring him to contradict her.

"I thought it was just an old phone book so I threw it away." He said apologetically before receiving a very hard hit to the head.

"And what's your excuse?" She asked the white-haired boy beside her brother. He knew he was going to get hit either way, and if prediction was correct, this would lead to getting back at the idiot for forcing him to include himself. He just replied honestly, his voice not even hinting on what he was about to do.

"My sisters took it as soon as I got home that day. Their exact words were 'Studying is for losers,' before…" He ducked just in time to dodge the hit, "they threw it away." the class was suspended in silence, no one has ever dodged one of her blows before, and escaped unscathed that is.

Ignoring the fact that she missed, she announced their sentence. "I will issue you both a new one then. Memorize its entirety in a week." She said nonchalantly before making her way back to the corner she was observing the class from. She would have made it if her brother did not interrupt.

"A week? Are you serious? Why? That thing is huge! There is no way…" He would continue but Yukito leveled a look at him that advised against it. No, more likely he gave him a look that forced compliance and made the boy take his seat before nodding at the teacher.

She seemed slightly impressed with the boy, so she humored them with an explanation. "It doesn't matter if it's in terms of mobility, firepower, or versatility, the IS exoskeleton far surpasses all earlier weapons in every aspect completely and absolutely. If you don't understand this weapon _thoroughly_ before operating it, accidents will occur. We teach you everything you need to know and give you practical training to prevent such accidents. Even if you don't understand them right away, memorize these rules and regulations, that's what the reference manual is for. We don't want any dead bodies just randomly popping up around here so we inform them of the danger beforehand. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Yukito replied for the both of them before taking his seat. A small smile crept on his face, returning hers before completely dissolving into a neutral expression. It seemed like they were not done yet though, as Maya approached Ichika and practically wringed his hands.

"The-Then, Orimura-kun, Sumeragi-kun, I'll teach you everything that you need to know. You must work hard, all right? All right? All right?" She asked relentlessly, her old vigor returning as quickly as it went. Then she realized just how close they were and hopped back, looking away like a scared rabbit.

"Yes," They both said before a strange pause. Yukito gestured for Ichika to continue so he did. "We'll leave it to sensei after school." He said neutrally while Yukito buried his face into his palm. Chifuyu looked on with curiosity, until she saw how her co teacher was reacting. She them found her own palm interesting enough to take a closer look.

"Aft-aft-after school? A teacher and-and-and a student? The two of us a-alone after school? Ah! No, no, Orimura-kun. Your sensei will become weak... and this is my first time with a guy..." She began blabbering, her cheeks turning a rich shade of red while the man of the hour just started with an incredulous look on his face.

All the girls started gossiping again while Yukito mentally ranted to himself. _What the hell had the world come to? I got to stop this, but how, how? This is one of the worst catastrophes yet! And it's just the first day! God have mercy on us for the next three years. _He thought as he descended into grief especially after the young high school turned teacher continued to speak. "But then, if it is Orimura-sensei's younger brother, then... maybe…"

"Don't worry, I'll keep them from doing anything indecent." Yukito deadpanned, already too far gone to even try to be sarcastic.

Chifuyu coughed the same time he spoke, adding her own voice to dispel the very, suggestive atmosphere. "Yamada-sensei, please continue with the lecture."

Their combined efforts worked beautifully, the teacher quickly snapping out of her fantasy.

"Yes, ma'am!" Maya screamed as she frantically made for the stage. Then she fell, hard. The students were treated with the sight of an unbelievably cute teacher rubbing her painful head. "Ouch… that hurt…" She murmured like a child who just stumbled, not improving the situation in any way. The two just sighed in the background, both wanting the day to just end so they would no longer have to endure the hellish classes.

This is a Page Break

After an eternity in empty hell, the bell tolled signaling their salvation. The pair was exhausted despite only having to go through two periods where the other girls around them began chattering with undying zeal.

The two exchanged looks before sighing simultaneously, the white's was because he realized his only support in the entire school was a being who, logically speaking, must have siphoned all the stupidity left for future generations only to take it into himself, while the black's was due to a conversation that would leave anyone confused and puzzled, with his close friend from his early childhood, who now hates him.

The pair knew they were in for a lot of trouble, but the magnitude was further made apparent when a certain girl approached.

"Excuse me, may I have a moment?" A confident, almost arrogant voice rung out, snapping Ichika out of his daze. He was just too tired at the moment to notice there was another girl who had the guts to talk to them, or him. After mentally wishing that this will not end up just as awkward as his conversation with Houki, he tried his best to reply in the most sophisticated but understandable way possible. It was all for naught in the end.

"Huh." That single world single syllable statement question was the only thing that managed to escape his mouth. He mentally face palmed for giving such a horrible response as he got a better look at the now obviously fuming maiden.

Long golden hair flowed all the way to her waist, while a pair of long tresses fashioned into ringlets framed her face. Sharp azure eyes started into his own with fury as her hand quickly positioned itself on the side of her waist. She was wearing a customized version of the uniform that featured a longer skirt and frill-like decorations on the ends of her sleeves.

She looked western from the color of her skin. European if he wasn't mistaken, though foreigners were hardly a rarity due to the requirements of the Alaska Treaty. An air of nobility radiated around her, though it could also be interpreted as one of arrogance because of its sheer magnitude. It wasn't like she was looking down on him because he was sitting, she was really looking down on him as a person; something he was never used to since the release of the IS.

"Hello? Are you even listening to me?" She demanded quite angrily, her eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. Seeing that, the boy knew he was in deep trouble, so he turned to his friend, confident the other boy would help him weasel his way out of this situation. With a quick glance, he knew two things; Yukito was asleep, and he was doomed.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry, my mind seems to be all over the place today. Did you need something?" He apologized to the girl and asked as politely as possible. Now the Ichika thought that being as polite and gentlemanly as possible would probably calm the girl down, it's worked before. Though this school seemed to be laughing at him as it served to make the girl even angrier. The confused boy just decided to listen while the young lady vented, a lot.

"What sort of a response is that? You should feel honored that I even bothered talking to you in the first place! Don't you think you should behave in a more appropriate manner, hmm?" She asked with a deliberate and very noticeable increase in volume. It was as if she was treating him as an idiot, with he was, but there's always a limit.

Internally, the boy sighed, this was the worst type of person he had ever encountered and equally horrible at dealing with them. The people described are women in general, more specifically, IS pilots. They tend to flaunt their power around, power not earned, but given away like fliers.

It is evident they don't see the value in humility as all who oppose them might as well have signed his own death wish, considering the immense power of the IS. These were exactly like the proud nobles of old, women who would bow to no one and would execute anyone for the most inconsiderable of slights.

"Look, I'm sorry, miss, but I don't even know who you are." He apologized as honestly and passively as possible, hoping that would clear things up. In his defense, he was still shocked on finding out that his own elder sister was his teacher and that there was, in fact, another boy in the school, in the class no less, other than himself. Though he had very good intention in mind, everything he did just seemed to aggravate her further.

"You don't know who I am?" She shouted as her voice oozed with utter contempt and outrage, her eyes narrowed to small slits. Her hand found themselves impacting the table at high speed resulting in a resounding thud. "I'm Cecilia Alcott, England's Representative Contender! The one who scored highest in the entrance exams!"

_Oh, so her name is Cecilia then, that makes things a bit simpler. But there is something about what she said…_ He thought as her raised his hand to interrupt her excessive ranting. "Hold on. Hold on. Hold on, I have a question." Truthfully, that was the only thing he thought of to shut her up for the moment.

"Well, it is the responsibility of nobles to answer the queries from the lower classes, you may ask." She said, her attitude doing a complete one eight degree turn, the confident smirk returning to her lips as she stood to her full height.

The boy looked at her for a few moments of serious silence, before voicing his question, in a tone far unsuited for the question. "You're a Representative Contender, okay, but what's that mean anyway?" it wasn't a tone of a joke or to mock her, it was truly a question born from ignorance and that drew many responses from those watching.

Many standing collapsed, ending up face down on the floor. Those sitting seemed to find their desks very interesting and rushed to get a much closer look, just millimeters form their eyes left open due to shock. The girl in front of him was reduced to a sputtering mess. The only one who did not react was Yukito, who was still sound asleep.

"Ah, ah… this is unbelievable! I can only hope that every Japanese man is not this utterly devoid of knowledge! I mean, it's nothing more than commonsense really. Do you even know of such a concept?" She grumbled with a mixture of pity and confusion as she rubbed her temples, like a headache had suddenly struck. She looked genuinely distressed, but more because of she felt that she was conversing with and idiot, which she was.

The boy just sat there, pondering if full honesty was still the best course of action. "Are you going to tell me or don't you know either?" He asked skeptically.

She seemed to perk up when he asked again, he could have sworn her eyes twinkled a bit. "Representative Contenders, or Candidates, are the chosen elites selected by their countries to represent them as IS pilots. Surely you should be able to deduce that from the name alone" She proclaimed proudly, again reverting back to her confident self on a switch. Ichika made a mental note that girls are usually bipolar before speaking.

Also he wondered if all Representative Candidates liked talking about themselves that much.

"Ah, when you put it that way, it makes sense." He deadpanned, glancing at his seatmate and hoping that this much racket would eventually wake him up. But like most things Ichika hopes for, it would take a while before he would finally wake up, about a few more sentences of extremely loud conversation.

"Yes, I am one of the Elite. It is truly a miracle and your good fortune to be in the same class as one of the Chosen Ones. You should really feel blessed. Oh what and incredibly lucky boy you are!" She said with a finger pointed just a few millimeters from his nose. "Did that get through that think skull of yours?" She asked arrogantly, though the reply she got was much less than expected.

"Uh, yeah. I must really be lucky huh?" He deadpanned, obviously sending the wrong message.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously again. "Are you trying to make a fool out of me?" She asked in the same tone Chifuyu would, indicating certain death.

"Well, you're the one who told me how lucky I was, right?" He asked, trapping her in her own statements.

"In any case, I'd like to know how you were able to get her despite lacking any knowledge about the IS." She said as she began walking around and demanding answers. "I heard that you were the only male in the world who could pilot an IS, and I had high expectations. You've been such a terrible disappointment so far." She said in a straightforward fashion it was almost insulting, though her being correct left little room for retort.

Ichika just found the floor beside him interesting before voicing a reply. "It sounds like expecting anything form me is a bad idea." He admitted with a down cast expression which served to prompt the pompous girl even further. She would have continued her insulting monologue, if not for the fact that Ichika's salvation had come.

"I think that in itself proved that you're not as good as you think you are, Miss Alcott." A voice like silk stirred the air with power, like a wise elderly grandfather chastising his grandchildren for a fault they cannot even see. The eyes of the pair turned to Yukito as he looked fondly out the window, blissfully watching clouds fly by before turning to them and giving the girl a radiant smile.

_Oh thank the gods Yukito is finally awake, it seems to be better for my side whenever he comes in. _Ichika thought while doing a victory dance in his head. It seemed like that wasn't lost on the white-haired boy as a melodic laugh emanated from his throat.

"And what does that mean, simpleton?" She grated out with outrage at the insult to her pride. Her eyes narrowed in to slits as anger began to surround her form with killing intent. Ichika knew that he insulted her deliberately, and feeling the effects of her unfeasible anger, felt for the guy.

The girl could get so angry that she would make anger management experts' hairs stand on end only to revert back to her pleasant self on a dime. He also knew that the white-haired prince could easily hold his own in arguments so he decided to keep silence for the moment, unless he could contribute anything of worth.

"You said you heard that there is only one male that was able to pilot an IS. As you see before you, that is not the case. I merely stating the fact that you were ignorant of me before this class." He said as pleasantly as humanly possible though with a firm tone that pushed his argument's validity though the roof. The black-haired boy observed a few of the onlookers nod with approval as the girl cringed at his reply.

"An ignorant worm dare lecture me on the merits of knowledge? I might have been ignorant of you, but what's the problem if you're just as stupid and idiotic as your friend there? You have no idea what is happening here, and the fact that you are just as ignorant as he is does nothing to help your position. I am the valedictorian of both theory and application exams, what gives you the right to even talk to me in such a manner?" She started arguing back without mercy, stating all she though she knew about him in one go. Ichika had thought Yukito would be slightly insulted, though a smirk made its way into his face before he replied evenly.

"Are you done, Brit?" The white-haired boy asked, this time using a tone that only his eldest sister used. A way of speaking that impregnated the air with such fearsome power, such gravity that only one human was ever able to stand against it. But then that was when his eldest sister spoke, he could only force her to stutter for a few seconds before continuing his own argument.

"What proves you to be the valedictorian in any of the two? Last time I checked, the student who earned a perfect score in the Theoretical area did not choose to attend and the second best was in another class. In the application area, I have no idea why you place yourself so high."

This time it was her turn to smile, obviously thinking the tides have turned. "Well I was the _only _one who defeated an instructor during the exam, so if that doesn't count I have no idea what does." She said proudly, obviously emphasizing on the word only. This was also the moment the black-haired boy decided to add his own voice to the conversation.

"Oh, that exam. I managed to defeat an instructor too." He said as if it was the simplest thing to do in the world, leaving Cecilia sputtering like a madman and Yukito grinning like a fox.

Her eyes suddenly grew to the size of basketballs while her mouth went utterly slack, her voice still ringing like a soft moaning. Yukito just smiled triumphantly, gesturing him to explain himself so the girl would understand. "Maybe defeat is the wrong word to use here. It was a fight between IS so when she charged to try and hit me, I sidestepped to the right. Boom! She ended up stuck in the wall and lost consciousness." He explained further.

"But… But… But…" She started stuttering again before anger manifested. "They told me I was the only one!" If this was a joke, than she definitely did not find it amusing. But, this was Orimura Ichika talking, the man who was fully honest even if it did end up humiliating himself. There was no way he would be lying right now, and it seemed like Cecilia knew that. It was just too difficult to accept that this idiot actually did it.

"Yeah, Mr. 'I'm so handsome, I can charm any girl I want no matter how old they are' managed to defeat an instructor too." Yukito said humorously, laughing with a sound too good to be called a laugh.

If Ichika could charm any girl with his looks, he couldn't it was just a joke, then the angelic sound that echoed around the room and silenced it, captivating everyone who heard, was even more so. Even with his hair tied, he still looked absolutely angelic, a male carbon copy of his sister with very minute differences. Those differences were features he inherited from the other side of the family, features that adorned his elder sister who was more mesmerizing when compared to the younger by miles.

"So… does that mean I'm not the only one?" She asked form in between dejected and outraged. Ichika needed to calm her down, since Yukito took over the winning part of the argument. So he tried to encourage her the best he could.

"I think they meant you were the only girl who defeated an instructor." Ichika offered helpfully, only to have his hopes dashed by Yukito.

"And you call us idiots. Yes, you are probably not the only one who defeated an instructor, since there's the other guy right beside you." He deadpanned in the bluntest manner possible. It was insulting, as he was knowingly walking over her pride, at least that much was apparent to Ichika.

"Just calm down a bit, please." Ichika cut in before Yukito could let loose more of the ammunition she gave him. This just seemed to get her even angrier. Apparently the television troupe was right that you never tell a person to calm down since it will make it worse.

"How am I supposed to calm down after hearing that?" She demanded as the bell rang again, signaling the end of the conversation. "We'll continue this conversation later, so neither of you even try to run away." well not the end of the conversation, but at least they get a break from trouble right? Wrong, it's back to the hells of boredom for them.

"Sorry for bringing you into a fight you never had to weather." Ichika apologized but Yukito just raised his hands to refuse.

"No, I was dragged into it once she said Japanese men were stupid. I should be apologizing to you."

Now this left Ichika more than a little confused. "Why? What did you do?"

"I left you on the battle field for too long."

This is a Page Break

"For the remaining time, we will be discussing the different characteristics of the different equipment, or equalizers IS can equip, their uses in combat." Hell was more difficult this time around. Why? Well it was because the sweet school girl that should never have been a teacher was replaced by a demon the world was stupid to trust their next generation of military might with.

Even the idiot learned to pay attention when his sister was teaching while the prince just prayed the period would be much more interesting than the first two. The argument a few minutes ago was all but forgotten while the room took up an air more suited for sober learning. The demon then continued her speech, a monologue so important, even the junior teacher deemed it worthy to take down a few notes. "But before that, we'll need to select a class representative."

Chattering resumed as Ichika was left to ponder on this development. Yukito just smiled since he would finally find some sort of relief from the boredom. Who knows, maybe there would be some argument about who will take the position, and such a scene would prove most entertaining. _As long as it doesn't end up being me, this will all end up fine._ They both thought simultaneously, sealing their own fate. Who's to say fate did not here the unspoken plea and decide to stomp all over their hopes.

"it's self-explanatory really, not only will the class representative fight the tournament two weeks from now, whoever gets chosen will also end up being the class president. They would be responsible for attending the various meetings as well as being the leader of the class as a whole. They are also presumed the most powerful in the class since the tournament was formed to sample the abilities of the batch. There's not much difference in your average abilities though, so a bit of friendly competition should encourage growth and improvement. Got that? Good, then let's begin. Anyone?" She explained before giving the students the floor for nominations.

"I nominate Orimura-kun" The boy cringed when his name was called out, while his seatmate tried his best to suppress his laughter.

"I second the motion." Ichika couldn't help but groan when he realized what just happened while Yukito was just about to guffaw and roll on the floor.

"Sure, candidate number one will be Orimura Ichika, anyone else?" The teacher asked quickly, obviously afraid for the class if Ichika _does _end up being class rep.

"Sensei, I nominate Sumeragi-kun." Now it was Yukito's turn to cringe in fear, waiting for the inevitable to happen while Ichika laughed a bit.

"I think that's a great idea! I second the motion!" Now his head found itself slammed into the desk, of his own free will of course, while Ichika moved on to the third stage of grief, bargaining with the devil. The other just stood as well, preparing his own argument after Ichika's is inevitably shot down.

"M-me?" Yukito and Ichika shouted simultaneously, standing up and making themselves a pair of pincushions by all the piercing stares.

They would not be dragged into this, or at least they would go down fighting. Best case scenario, only one of them end up being the representative. Worst case, they both somehow become representative, just like his eldest sister's story about her junior high school days. Apparently she served as one of the "Twin Empresses" alongside another as co-presidents.

"Well, now we just have to decide which one of you gets to be the representative. The class will vote, raise your right hand for Orimura, your left for Sumeragi." The teacher said, ignoring the pair trying to weasel their way out of their position. Ichika almost gave up and sat down, but that as before the other argued back.

"But neither of us are willing! This is an outrage!" Yukito screamed a glare was leveled against him. He did not shiver or cower under the unrelenting power, but returned one in kind, meeting the demon in the eye with a look that matched her own. The class was held in awe for a moment, seeing the most powerful woman in the world being matched by a boy a more than half her age. A boy of all things!

"I don't care. The nominee has no right to refuse when nominated." She said flatly before she began counting the hands of the students. It was another student who made her lose count. Salvation found the two in one of the most interesting ways.

"I refuse to accept such an election!" A certain blonde screeched before slamming her hands into her desk. The two looked at her resembling an animal coming out of its den before it eventually tries to kill them. Through they looked on with thankfulness, both very willing to give her the position. "I cannot accept such an outcome." All three cried but as soon as the two did nothing to support their statement, Cecilia resumed talking.

"To have a _male _be our representative is idiotic and insane. It would do nothing but bring shame to this class, and I, Cecilia Alcott refuse to live in that shame for an entire year! I will not allow a pair of monkeys be selected just for their rarity and novelty, it's just disgraceful! I came here to improve my skills as a pilot, not watch a couple of circus acts in the arena! If this is supposed to be a contest of skill, then it's obvious I am the most suitable here. And to think, living in such an underdeveloped country…" She would spurt more but Yukito met her with a rebuttal.

"This is about skill, miss, not about lineage." Yukito said in perfect English, catching her off guard along with the entire class.

"And if you can pilot as good as you can run your mouth, then I'll be glad to acknowledge you as the better choice. Unfortunately we both know that most women of today are all talk and no walk. If we were to have a debate, we'd win." He continued and concluded in Japanese, buying just enough time for Ichika to argue back. His county was insulted that was enough of an excuse for him to retaliate.

"What makes Britain any better? We conquered the entirety of Asia while you could even hold a _single_ island together! The IS was born here, all you and any other country did was develop it because we a_llowed_ you to. You guys can't even cook a decent meal for yourselves, while we have food served around the globe! What in _bloody_ hell gives you any right to think your superior in any way?" Ichika unloaded everything he knew against her in that one rebuttal while she was reduced to momentary stuttering.

"You dare insult my country?" She asked indignantly, anger emanating from her form like a tempest threatening to consume the pair. Ichika was content to glare at her in silence while Yukito was going to deliver one more punch before the actual endgame. He rose from his seat and with an expression of pure emptiness, he commanded her to die.

"You dared insult me, and now you expect that I won't fight back, that I would cower before you without proper cause? Laughable. Prove to me that you're worth more than the thieving trash I see and then, maybe then, I will acknowledge you as a person. But before that day comes, you are nothing but dirt under my boot and there will never, _ever, _be a time I will lose to you." He clinched it, as if it was a simple truth though infusing it with the weight of a king's speech, a declaration of death that couldn't be reversed.

Her reply was a simple statement, a confirmation of what he assumed would happen next. "I challenge you both to a duel!" She screamed, her hands slamming against the table in rage as she basically declared war on the two. Of the two, Ichika stared on angrily while Yukito kept his expressionless visage on her.

"Sure, it's much easier than debating against an idiot anyway!" He answered back as the girl began her approach.

"Don't lose on purpose then, if you do, you'll end up as my servant! No, my slave!" She yelled arrogantly, standing just a few centimeters from Ichika. _Just one small push would do it. _Yukito thought, observing the distance between the two. He reined himself in though, who knows what his sister might do if that happened.

"You sure can run your mouth, just don't come back crying when you lose. Underestimating an opponent in a real fight will end this match in our favor." Yukito said flatly, tagging Ichika out before leaping into the fray himself. It was plainly obvious that the two were ganging up on her, so Yukito found it impressive that she held her ground.

"Is that so? Then this will be the perfect opportunity for me, Britain's Representative Contender, Cecilia Alcott, to display her ability."

"How much of a handicap then?" Ichika interjected, leaving Yukito nodding while Cecilia gaping. A large smile appeared on her face before she laughed like a madman.

"My, my, begging already?" She said victoriously, like she had already won the fight. That was until Ichika clarified.

"No, I meant how much handicap we should take?" He deadpanned with Yukito nodding in approval beside him.

The class erupted with laughter, quelling the serious atmosphere that came before. Ichika was genuinely confused, Cecilia was quite surprised while Yukito just kept his eyes closed, like he was deep in thought. Ichika's confusion was dealt with when some of the girls started throwing their own two cents.

"O-Orimura-kun, were you being serious? You were really serious, weren't you?"

"Men used to be stronger than women, but that was before the IS was invented!"

"Orimura-kun, maybe you can pilot an IS, but that's just overdoing it way too much!"

"Yeah, they say if men and women fought a war, it wouldn't even last a whole three days!"

"Truthfully, I'm debating if I should take for your sakes or not." Cecilia proclaimed proudly while Ichika's fists visibly convulsed. "At least Japanese men traded humor for commonsense." It was clear he was at the losing end of the argument, but that changed when He decided he would not be defended by a friend, not by Dan, and not by Yukito.

"A man does not go back on his word, there is no need for handicap then." He said quite lamely before Yukito spoke up, his right hand in his blazer pocked, giving him an air not unlike that of emperors. _Even here someone has to help me out. When will I ever be independent? _Ichika resigned before listening to the boy speak, no bestow impetus.

"Like what my friend said, there is no need for handicaps. Still this is a decision that will work against you, Miss Alcott" He spat in English. "There are only two pilots I'm afraid to go toe to toe with anyway, lucky for us, you're not one of them" Now it was Yukito's turn to look arrogant, angering Cecilia to some degree.

"Do you mind telling us then, what power could make even an arrogant prick like yourself bow?" She retorted, anger dripping from her voice as the vulgar insult was flung. The boy had not shown any sign of being hurt though, simply complying with her request as pleasantly as possible.

"Of course, there's no harm in doing that is there?" He said with a short, mellifluous laugh. "The first and I believe more powerful of the two is standing right behind us, the sister of this fine young man and my brother in hell, Orimura-sensei, champion of the first Mondo Grosso and runner up in the second due to reasons still unknown. She in widely accepted as the world's best pilot, so it would be idiocy not to fear her. Seriously, who wouldn't fear a being with enough strength to crush mountains?" He said as he felt her glare pierce through him from behind. He knew what would happen next, and needed to move fast if this would end well for anybody.

He paused, throwing a glance at the open window to his right. _If she pulled the trigger already then it should be coming in three..._

The clouds in the sky warped for a moment before reverting back to normal, a sign that a large amount of light, and more realistically air was displaced from a long distance away. _Two… _

A flock of birds were scattered, obviously avoiding something or being blown away by its wake. _Now!_

He whipped his right hand out, throwing what looked like a black blur from out from his pocked. The projectile flew quickly, resembling a dark comet, crossing the distance between the pocket and a part of the open window in a blink of an eye.

An earsplitting ring, metal slamming into metal, echoed around the room as the projectile made a beeline for Ichika. It would not get far though, as Yukito's left hand lashed out like lighting, whatever was thrown and hit now contained in his pale white fist. It was only after a few moments later that he resumed speaking, the small tremor in his hand not going unnoticed.

"The second is obviously the more dangerous, shooting this," He opened his palm to reveal a thick coin between his fingers with a small hole going right through and a bullet burring itself in his blood drenched palm, "from god knows where, undetected. The fact she shot it from a location away from the island just speaks volumes of her skill, seeing as it's much too small to be from weapon made for an IS. It would have probably gone right through that head of yours if I didn't intercept in time. You're welcome by the way."

The entire class was immediately silenced, all traumatized by fact they could be killed at any time, and no one would be the wiser. The once happy chatter was now replaced by an unnerving calm. Even the proud Cecilia acknowledged that she would have been killed that day if not for his intervention. Ichika was rendered speechless by the tremendous display of dexterity and speed Yukito demonstrated while the teacher looked at his back knowingly.

"I guess that settles it then." Chifuyu's smirk grew even wider as she clapped twice to end the conversation. "The battle will take place next Monday in the 3rd arena. That would be the earliest time to settle this. Alcott, Orimura, Sumeragi prepare yourselves thoroughly before the fight, I would want to see the one-sided fight this one predicted. Now let's start the class."

Everyone expected for her to turn to Maya and nod, but instead she sent a warning glare Yukito. "Sumeragi, I will not have your sister killing off any my students just because she _can_. They might be as unpleasant as hell but they are my responsibility. Is. That. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'll call her tonight. She does pride herself of her no "collateral damage" streak." He responded matter-of-factly, causing Cecilia to cry out again.

"You-your sis-sister tri-tried t-to k-kill me? W-why w-would she t-try and do-do that?" She shouted, outraged and afraid, oh so very afraid if her stutter wasn't obvious enough.

"Nothing personal, little girl, but if you mess with my brother, you mess with me. The only ones who _willingly _mess with me... poof." A strange sound came from the PA systems. It was not a human talking, no by all means it just couldn't be.

No such sound that could ever be produced by the human mouth could ever compare to the sound that came from the speakers, sounds that with every syllable produced such harmony that it would have baselessly garnered the supports of the entire class if the statement was a word longer. It was a melody, not of power, but impossible to disobey.

"Oh and Chichi, the security sucks here. You should get someone to improve it." She said before the line went dead.

In response, Yukito just shrugged, completely ignoring his bloodied hand while Chifuyu nursed her aching head. This was going to be a long first day for everybody.

This is a Page Break

A loud moan broke the peace that was held inside the room, coming from a very exhausted Ichika as he slumped on the desk. A quick slap on the head jolted him upright as an annoyed Yukito just smiled at his reaction, not minding the fact that he struck the poor boy with his injured hand. Not a grunt of pain, but a snicker of amusement rung around the empty room, filling the sober space with a good measure of much needed mirth.

At that, Ichika just couldn't help but return a smile, the boy had been helping him through most of his problems throughout the day, even going as far as helping the teacher teach him what he could understand.

What really struck him was the genuine kindness behind his eyes whenever he got a glimpse of them, unforgiving steel hiding the softness of the heavens, almost like he couldn't be angered no matter the transgression. Though it was a foolish assumption, disproved by his nigh perfect and frigidly merciless counter arguments against Cecilia.

"Spare me the agony, please just put me out of my misery." The boy begged as another frustrated moan destroyed the tranquil atmosphere. He couldn't be blamed though, most of the day was hell for him.

During classes he was a soldier at war, under the relentless bombardment of term after term, each strange word more morbid and confusing than the last until his defenses finally relented. He had to accompany Yukito in the infirmary to clear his head after fainting for a few seconds.

The next part of his day was much more agonizing, being meticulously observed from a distance by the multitude of girls in the Academy. When a large amount of creatures of the same species but opposite gender watch you from a distance, whispering and giggling amongst themselves, it is NEVER a good sign.

When he moved, the others made way, all extremely careful to maintain a good distance for a reason that remained elusive, even to Yukito. It was as if he was shark among a school of herring, all constantly moving to avoid the large predator, in this case a simple boy, lest they be brutally killed and thoughtlessly devoured.

"Oh, relax will you." The other said in high spirits, obviously having a better day. "You're talking like you were the one hit with a bullet. Just take a deep breath and try to look for anything _good_ that happened today." He paused a while before breaking into a fit of laughter before continuing with a much less sarcastic tone.

"Who am I kidding? Your day must have been worse than getting in a scuffle with that sister of yours." He shuddered slightly when he said it, recalling much of the stories his own sister told him about the champion and idol of women everywhere.

At first he thought that a woman ripping limbs off and cutting down foes a considerable distance away with nothing but the air itself was just plain ridiculous. That was his initial assessment, until his sister showed him several videos depicting scenes much, much more gruesome than any grown man would have to witness.

_Spines are never supposed to bend that way, and that white strip was what remained of his entire arm after it was shredded…by a sword…from thirty meters away…without the use of an IS. Note to self, never anger that woman._ He thought, a bright smile effectively hiding the fear he had for the monster of a warrior.

"I'm not that big of an idiot, in fact I don't think anyone is." He said before letting out a nervous laugh. Joining the chorus, Yukito laughed as well, though the wondrous melody ushered in an unlikely audience. It was at that moment that Maya chose to enter the room, appearing like her usual self, more like a student than a teacher.

"Oh, Sumeragi-kun, Orimura-kun, you're still in the classroom?" Maya just followed the angelic laughter to confirm her suspicion. "That saves us a lot of trouble."

"Yes, Yamada-sensei, did you leave anything or do you have something for us?" Yukito asked cheerily, garnering a quick reply.

"Your dorms are ready!" She exclaimed happily, handing the two students keys with a slip of paper with a number. Upon noticing the pair of keys, Yukito just sighed while Ichika had a confused look on his face, though not for the reason Yukito expected. The boy honestly thought that there was something wrong with Ichika when he voiced his concern.

"But I thought that it would take a week at least before they had a room prepared for me. They said there were no male rooms so it would tricky putting me anywhere." He said with a confused tone while Yukito just reacted in the manner most befitting of the situation, he face-palmed.

"Special cases usually require special solutions right? So we just decided to give you a room instead of having you commute all the way back every day." She said, her vivacity not fading in the least.

"The problem we have right now is that you have to live with a roommate, so please try to do that for a month, then we'll have the room made specifically for you done by that time." She ended as he took the key, which was precisely the time his commonsense came back from its pilgrimage.

"Wait, why can't I just room with Yukito?" The piercing question was let loose at last, freezing all in the room. Apparently, the teacher didn't take into account that the question would be asked and was reduced to a mumbling mess while Yukito just shook his head.

Since there was nothing either of them could do in the current situation, Yukito managed to snag his own key and number before making his way towards the door. He deiced it was best to leave, he did not want to continue watching the pair in their current, position.

"Its fine, I guess it would be different than living with my sisters. Good luck Ichika, there's a copy of my room number on your desk if you need anything." He left the duo as he exited the room, almost bumping in with the demon herself in his rush. Though relief, not fear, was in his voice when he spoke. "Orimura-sensei, just the one I was looking for."

"And why is that, Sumeragi?" She asked, strangely calmer for reasons known only to him. This was the first time he could talk to her alone in a while, but her shift in attitude was enough to reassure him that their relationship remained unchanged despite all the years he was forced to go "off the grid". It made him happy he still had a friend in her.

"Why didn't you room me with Ichika? I'm sure it would be much easier that way since, you know, we're both guys. It would also save time and money in the place of building a new room entirely for each of us." He asked as innocently as possible, like someone took a thousand puppies and bestowed upon him their visage. It had no effect on the demon.

"I think that is a question reserved for your sister, she was the one who talked me in to it in the first place. She said something along the lines of, 'Yu-kun is just too distant to ever get into a relationship alone, that's what his onee-chan is for.'" Chifuyu paused, a tired sigh and a grim expression shifting the air of the conversation.

"Honestly, she's turning more and more into Tabane every day, and that kind of intelligence, compounded with her skill with any weapon, and the reason she got her moniker does make her the most dangerous among the three of us. And to think she's a few years younger than me, just try and keep her under control, okay?"

He gave her a quick nod before going on his way.

This is a Page Break

"Perfect, room 1020. Yup this seems to be it." Yukito said to himself before quickly inserting his key and opening the door, calmly hoping for the best.

What he saw in the room surprised him in a good way, it was neat with two beds and a large window on the far side looking out across the Academy campus, now bathed in darkness as the stars began to peek out. There were two desks joining on the left side of the room which also held shelves behind them, opposite the two beds with personal computers on them. Most of the furniture in the room was exquisite hardwood, while the walls were painted in a homey beige.

Though he noticed none of these as he made his way to the bed, subsequently jumping it the moment he laid eyes on it. On the soft bed, he could think of nothing else but to drift into a quick nap, so he did. It took him less time to fall into sleep's embrace than it would take even Chifuyu to deploy her IS. Even if he thought to find comfort in this quick respite, his sleep was far from peaceful.

This is a Page Break

[Byakuya?!] He flinched when he heard it, this might have been the last time he would hear her voice, but it was still very loud. It took him a few moments to assess the situation and realize what was going on. [Where are you? Are you alright?] The voice on the other end of the line was his sister, though she was uncharacteristically worried. His mind kicked into overdrive immediately after she ended.

_That just means I'm back here, again. Well if this is just a dream, why not? This was my greatest victory after all, why not relive it for a while. _He thought as he turned to the little girl sitting on the floor, a smile of pure bliss on her face as she spoke to her parents. He promised himself that he would give his all to make sure that the smile on her face would never fade again, at least as long as he was alive.

"Relax, Mayumi-nee, I have this under control." He said as he glanced towards the door, he knew exactly how this would end, and exactly when the door would give. That was the least of his problems, the most glaring one being he just told his sister to calm down. Not a smart thing to do when talking to one of the three Aspects.

[Calm down? Calm Down?! How in hell am I supposed to calm down?] She screamed, the very walls around them shaking due to the sheer volume of the voice, and possibly a team had arrived outside to try and break down the door.

[You ran away from home, just to get kidnapped and now you're telling me to calm down? What's happening there, did you happen to take the sword at least? Why everyone getting kidnapped, first it was Mitsuko, now you, even Chifuyu's brother!] Another wave of sound practically shook the room.

"Wait, Chifuyu-nee has a sibling? Never mind, I just got into a small bind that's all. I'll be home by about…" He checked his wrist, the watch telling him it was around seven in the afternoon. "Three, three thirty so you don't need to wait up for me. Oh and tell Mitsuko I'm coming home as fast as possible so she wouldn't worry too much."

A promise he knew he would never be able to keep, it would take him another three years just to see his beloved sisters again though the words he said on that night just kept pouring out of his mouth. "I have to go now, IS suits are about to break down the door, I love you, Mayumi-nee, and tell the same to Mitsuko-chan."

He quickly dropped the line and pocketed the phone, then with a deep breath, he scanned the room hoping for a miracle and that was when he face-palmed. _I'm such an idiot aren't I? _He thought before laughing to himself and drawing his blade.

With a smile, he ran his fingers along an ornate glyph that was etched in gold near the hilt. A solemn look donned on his face and with eyes closed he chanted the activation code unleashing power in the blade. "Chaos iacet percussitque ante Luci Caelesti" He then reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of shades. With a quick and practiced movement, he removed his contacts from beneath the glasses, a maneuver that thankfully went unnoticed.

The length of the blade suddenly glowed with a menacing crimson hue, as if all the blood it devoured was being slowly regurgitated and unleashed in the room. The sword he held was designed and built with his own two hands and as soon as he figured out how to power it, it evolved from a blade meant to harm man, to a weapon that could slay the goddesses of the world. Being handcrafted to defeat one, It was one of the only weapons that could ever stand at par with an IS suit, and inevitably surpass it.

The crumpled mass of metal that was once a door, was flung to the far side of the room, crashing through the wall and letting the darkness of night seep though. Both pairs of eyes turned to the doorway top find a single woman in an IS, a gun leveled against the boy. He just smiled as he looked into her eyes, the only hint he had as to where she intended to aim when the trigger was pulled.

Time seemed to slow as he began his approach, what would be viewed as a quick sprint just a slow trudge in his eyes. The first shot was fired, though it moving immensely faster than his arm, his supreme insight allowed him to have the blade in its path just as it left the barrel.

Another step was about to be taken when another projectile came again, this time meeting the keen edge of the black blade, its halves cruising past his neck in a mad rush, just passing over his skin by a hair's breadth.

Several others followed as he continued his steady stride, each meeting his blade even before it had a chance to do damage, each being harmlessly redirected before it could even harm to boy.

Each movement was completed just as the next bullet left the barrel, while each deflected shot served to quicken the movement of the blade by a large margin. It took only five shots to turn the boy with a sword into a bladed maelstrom of crimson, the air around him a vacuum to shred anything caught in it into perdition.

It didn't take a while before the woman thought it wise to change targets, aiming at the girl instead, though by that time it was too late. As the rifle shifted to change targets, the crimson edge of the obsidian blade decimated it like it was nothing, continuing along its ark until making a full circle.

Not losing any momentum he twirled forward, the blade arced again, the target being the pilot herself instead of the katana she summoned in retaliation. With a frantic parry, his blade made contact with hers, though the opposition did nothing to stop its advance, the black blade going through the silver katana like it was nothing before making contact with the pilot's arm.

The pilot's once confident smirk turned to a look of utter horror at the way the black blade ate though the armor and nicked her arm. As soon as the point of the blade drew blood, the entire suit dematerialized, running out of energy as a last ditch effort to protect its pilot.

She looked intent to make a final stand as soon as her feet touched the ground, but she did not count on the haymaker that contained the momentum of the last two sword swings, his fist making contact right at her stomach.

"How did you do that?" A shocked, Kanzashi made her presence known thirty seconds, six hundred heavy machinegun slugs and one knocked out pilot later. "I thought the IS was immune to conventional weaponry, so how in the world did manage to survive, much less beat one with just a simple sword. And how do you move that fast? That was the third time you moved like that, wasn't it?"

To her defense, she just watched a boy, her age take out a genuine superweapon with nothing but a sword and pure speed bordering on supersonic. Earlier she watched him kick down a steel door with enough force to make a wall, kidnapper and door sandwich in that order then block _all_ the bullets fired by _fourteen_ submachine guns before dispatching the seven assailants seemingly simultaneously.

"The speed part is kind of a trade secret." He said with a finger at his lips. "While the way I took down that enemy IS was not really that much trouble, so I guess it's alright to tell you. Yeah, contemporary weaponry is useless when facing the IS energy field, but who said this sword fell into that category?" He asked with an extremely sly smile while she listened intently.

"I basically took a weaker analog of an IS core, the power source part at least, and infused it into this sword. With nothing but attacking power as a focus, all the energy of this pseudo-core is put on the edge of the blade, making the only thing it can't cut is a neutron star. The red aura around it was basically an 'overclock mode' if you will, making its edge sharp enough to sever the molecular bonds and absorb the energy to continue the reaction, ergo, as long as it moves, anything made of molecules will get cut, including the very air we breathe. Pretty cool huh?" He asked, leaving the little girl in awe.

"Amazing, and you did all that yourself? You had no one aid you with anything and you made a weapon that makes the IS look like just another suit of armor, and your my age as well." She said dejectedly before a sad smile came into his view.

"Why can't I be strong like you? Why can't I be like my sister? If I was none of this would have ever happened. I'm so useless." She breathed solemnly as she hung her head in despair.

_Oh, no, don't tell me she had a bunch of problems before this ordeal. It seems like she has family problems and sibling rivalry with her sister, aw come on! _He thought worriedly before standing, and with a grunt, he lifted her into his arms. Despite being the second time he lived through this, the light blush on her cheeks still eluded his sight.

"What-what are you doing?" She asked nervously, her head unconsciously snuggling closer to his chest.

As soon as he reached his full height, he laughed, not to lighten the mood, not because he was trying to show any false courage, but because of what she said. "My sincerest apologies, Sarashiki-san, it's just that what you said was just so stupid that it was funny. You seem to be mistaken on both counts as well as I am not strong, not strong at all and you, you are the key to all this." He said as he let her down in front of large mass covered by a large piece of cloth. With a simple tug, he revealed the large suit of armor that propelled women to their current place in society.

He pointed at the giant metal suit. "I can't pilot one of these for obvious reasons, but you can. With this, we could make a quick escape and get home before dawn, provided were in the right country of course. If you're worried about not being able to pilot it, it's much simpler than it looks, and we're just going to use it as a means of transportation instead of a weapon platform. You're not perfect but absolutely not useless either, you just have to trust yourself, okay?" He finished with more conviction than any debater or public speaker should have, and once she nodded, he lifted her onto the standing machine, gingerly positioning her into the armor effortlessly.

The effects of the armor were instantaneous, or at least they seemed so since she gasped quite loudly as the plates began to move, each piece of metal shifting and compressing around her small body in an attempt to fit and optimize itself for her. Her eyes reflected the amount of information being poured into her mind, as he could almost swear he could see the values of the air pressure humidity, wind speed and other essential elements included the external ballistic calculations in those crimson eyes.

In a few moments she was already hovering in midair and testing her limbs to check for any problems. The smile on her face as the armor finalized its optimization was something that gave him hope, hope that he could help others despite his own weakness and that she could overcome her own problems, even without him; he had finally saved someone.

"So, are we ready to go?" He asked, with a tone not unlike a gentleman asking a lady for a dance. "The IS should have a GPS included so that would be useful, though the priority right now is to get you out of here. Just activate something called Ignition Boost when we get outside, that should give us enough of a head start to escape safely." He explained quickly before hopping on her back for the ride.

_I just hope everything goes according to plan, if not then I'll be wishing I just stayed here._ He thought as he removed the cloth sheath from his back and handed the weapon to her. "Take this too, it should double the energy reserves of the IS even when it isn't called up. Besides, I'm thinking you would need it more than I do just in case this all goes to hell. If it doesn't then just think of it as a keepsake, hopefully you remember finding a friend when you see it, and not being ruthlessly kidnapped."

"Thank you, for everything." She said in rapture as she took the long blade, which seemed to grow in length as soon as she held it, and added it to her inventory, causing the great blade of darkness to dissolve in a zephyr of light. With nothing else to hold them down any longer, she went for the large hole in the wall and stood on the air, looking out into the night, into their freedom. She breathed in deeply, as if to strengthen her resolve before shouting defiantly towards the heavens.

"Ignition Boost!" at once, they barreled into the night at frightening speed, the only thing keeping him in place was his right hand on her armored shoulder. His eyes began to adapt to the speed as time went on and soon the nightscape was like clear as day for him. He could estimate they were traveling about three quarters of a mile per second, as he stole a final glance at his would be cage.

They were trapped inside some sort military base, though it was obviously abandoned due to the fact the paint was left chipping and the widows were veiled in dust. The complex was large and plain, appearing like a combination of a basic barracks, armory, and command post. It was extremely practical though, as it still stood while an IS attacked from the inside, despite its lackluster maintenance.

Another peculiar thing about it was that it was extremely secluded, just like the secret bases from different movies. A large forest surrounded the base, and the structure itself was atop a mountain overlooking a vast green gorge. A silver river ran though the beautiful valley, as the sandstone cliffs loomed over it like ever vigilant sentries. There was no two ways about it, they had been kidnapped by some very powerful people, seeing as they could field an IS to take them both.

How did he know it was an IS that flew them there? Easy, there was no landing pad for a helicopter and a runway for planes so that was the only way in or out of the high fortress. To build a very well camouflaged base in the very crowded Verdon Gorge, also spoke volumes of their influence as it was no easy task building a military base in a popular tourist spot in France. That was when it finally hit him.

_France? I'm in the country known for its snotty white people and the birthplace of that revolting lip lock? _He mentally bellowed as he realized his location. This place was truly the Grand Canyon du Verdon, a tourist spot he heard about smack-dab in between the towns of Castellane and Moustiers Sainte Marie, where the river has cut a ravine up to 700 meters down through the limestone mass. He had seen this place in maps before and from a plane when his sister finally allowed him to tag along the first time she flew to London. It was a sight for sore eyes back then, now it was just a source of heartache.

_So I'm basically an entire continent away from them, this will complicate things. The plan to arrive at three just went to hell, and without proper assets getting a flight back to Japan would take a few years at least. Plus, I'm a minor so getting a job of any legal kind would be impossible. But seriously, France? There was no accent when the women talked English and by the way they handled prisoners they could be old Romanian. This will take a while if I go through with this… ah, what the hell? _He thought before going through with his original plan, a plan that would change his life forever.

Looking back, he would have done the opposite, but as part of the audience, he could nothing as the angelic boy let go of the armored girl, sentencing himself to years of separation. As he fell, he pondered on what might have been if he just held on, getting to wherever but at least with a friend. He would not be alone and neither would she or they would be alone together.

His thoughts were quickly stopped as soon as he hit the tree line, his vision turning from viridian to obsidian in an instant.

**AN**

**And that's the Second(half or old chapter 1) chapter done**

**Yes, I cut the chapters so it would be easier to read.**

**I'm going to have to make a shout out/apology to Fujin of Shadows before anything else. Fans of his work would notice that the initial dream sequence was very similar to his in "White Knight". This was not done intentionally so please guys, no more "This is such a rip off" and the like. I'm personally a big fan of his work, just finishing the fic above and I thought it would be proper since he had the idea on paper first.**

**Please review, just don't bash too hard.**

**See ya **


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE: Rage, Pain, and Grace; Preparations for Battle**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

"Alright, that's finally done, and just in time for breakfast." Yukito happily said to himself as he watched the sun rise silently over the academy. He laughed to himself a little when he took time to ponder on how such a hell could look so beautiful in the mild dawn.

_This may not be as bad as I thought, though if Ichika's screaming a few doors down is anything to go by, then this will be much harder than I thought. Well at least being bored would no longer be an issue. _He thought offhandedly as he stretched

He then looked at the other bed beside his, its sheets spread neatly over a small form while the pillow sat slightly off-center, cradling a mass of cerulean hair. With the screen hidden away, he could easily see the pair of glasses that rested on the table beside her together with two hairclips.

He smiled when he saw her the first time, last night when he woke up in a cold sweat after reliving one of his memories and now he smiled again after turning around from the sunrise to her face.

_That solves the roommate issue rather quickly, though what are the chances we would have meet again after that entire fiasco? It would probably be best not to dig up the past unless she insists on it, that incident would end up being one of her more painful experiences._ He concluded as he walked to the computer opposite his bed, quietly started it up, plugged in a flash drive and resumed his work.

Several files jumped on the screen but what he immediately went for was one labeled "Project" and even more files began to explode form the file. With inhuman speed he tapped on the keys, his hands fast enough to type with peerless efficiency while gentle enough to make no sound whatsoever.

_Okay, so the structure of the Program 02-325 should be working like this so a few minute adjustments should increase efficiency by four hundred percent. Power should be routed directly through the arm as to increase its effectiveness without sacrificing the performance of program 00-619 until 57-863. Uh, never leave the software to Mitsuko, she'd kill it. I told her to reduce the suit's performance by a bit but no, she demolishes the stats to about a tenth. This thing would lose to an Uchigane in a fair fight! _He continued his work wordlessly as his fingers continue to blur around the keyboard. His eyes were alternating between the screen and his notes, his hand just waving over the book, the air turning the page for him whenever he needed to.

That tiny book contained complete schematics of all of his creations, starting from a special material that could be used as blades, armor and energy amplifiers to an omnidirectional bilayer field generator that manipulates the space between the two layers, making instantaneous travel under twenty meters not just possible but easier than taking a breath.

"I don't think I've introduced myself as of yet. My apologies. Though it couldn't really be helped as we were both out much too late last night. Imagine my surprise when I walked in the room and found a girl sleeping on the other bed." Yukito said to no one in particular, his soft voice gently rebounding around the room before a sharp yelp erased all traces of its angelic sound. The frightened only served to prompt him further, but not before another laugh echoed around the room.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He turned around to see the girl in what could only be described as the exact same dress another wore five years ago, and basically staring at him with a mixture of fear, apprehension and mostly confusion.

Another thing that caught his eye was how fast the curtain pole materialized into her hands, the quick gust of air signifying that the curtains were no longer being held aloft. He was sure the staff wasn't in her hands a second ago. "Oh, how are you, it sure has been a while, hasn't it?" The words just rolled off his tongue without thought, hurling them both into an awkward situation.

"H-how, ho-how do you k-know me?" She managed to stutter out while he mentally face palmed for his very, Ichika level mistake.

He just happened catch himself as he was about to blurt out the nickname he learned from a meeting with one of her many friends; he still didn't understand why she wasn't intent on avoiding that princess, she was crazy. He needed to amend this quickly, though lucky for him, she was frozen in shock so that gave him much needed seconds to formulate a plan.

Lucky for him, he had 10 done and about 17 on the way and another 40 for safety, just in case.

"Oh, Very sorry again." He began as he stood and scratched his head, approaching her as non-threateningly as possible.

"I could have sworn you were another acquaintance of mine, Ka-chan I called her. She had the same hair you have now, except a bit longer and much less, um, blue." He stopped as soon as she was in arms reached and held out his hand like a gentleman, not unlike the time they first met. He hoped and prayed to any and all gods above that that wouldn't end the way the original meeting did.

"Sorry it's late, I'm Sumeragi Yukito, class 1-1, apparently your roommate until the school is finished playing with the room assignments and puts me and Ichika into the same room, pleased to meet you. I think we met yesterday though we were not introduced." The words rolled out of his mouth as she showed no sign of doubt concerning his practiced introduction.

It took a short while before she finally closed her eyes as sighed, before facing the white-haired boy and reciprocate the introduction.

"My name is Shizune Takatsuki, class 1-1, pleased to meet you too." She said with a cheerful smile. She turned away at the window to avoid awkward eye contact, only for curiosity to strike once more. Yukito let out a light smile as her head snapped towards him with a very curious look on her face.

"Wait, I heard that there was only one male who managed to pilot an IS, so where did you come from?" She saw him hesitate for a second, before remembering what had occurred the other day when it was just him and a friend of hers.

"Oh and please forgive Cecilia for her rudeness, we talked before class and she's really a nice person if you get to know her. She just really doesn't like being outdone, in anyway." She quickly apologized to him, giving a small bow while he looked on curiously

"No, no, no, it's fine, really. I'm sure everyone has their reasons for acting the way they do, so it's really not in my place to judge. For all I know, something was wrong with her family, so you don't need to apologize. Regarding my entrance though, it's a funny story really, very embarrassing on my part." He said before removing a pin from his hair, letting the river of white cascade down to his lower back.

"Look up 'Girl wreaks IS museum with an outdated machine' on those portable displays." He started, pointing to the glasses. "Though I beg you, don't laugh too hard." He said in a very pleading tone while she obeyed his instructions, taking the glasses and pulling out her phone.

It took a while for the devices to connect, but when she got the video going, she was totally enthralled from the beginning to the end. One very destructive and unreasonably strange video after, she took the most human course of action: She just laughed.

It was an innocent laugh, one that captured the best of her as a person, light, mellifluous, graceful, refined, charming and definitely beautiful. In the face of that, he just couldn't bring himself to be angry and started to join the chorus himself.

"I'm surprised they didn't ask you anything after that incident, I'm sure everyone would want to know how this happened." The little girl said in between fits of laughter while the boy just looked all the more downcast.

What was the reason for his expression? He knew perfectly well how anyone would react if he answered the question truthfully. Despite all the warnings that were set of in his mind, he decided to trust her this one time.

"Well, they couldn't because, they were too busy… uh… laughing." He admitted shamefully.

Truth be told, he had thought people would panic more when a machine with power comparable to a nuclear warhead was rampaging around a closed space with other machines trying to stop it, but apparently this just caused a massive uproar. Everyone who bore witness to the said event was just reduced to tears after rolling on the floor, practically laughing their face off.

What upset him even more was that his roommate was reduced to the same state, after he explained the lack of information the internet possessed on the issue. "It's not that funny." He whimpered futilely as the girl continued laughing on her bed. _This will be a long day won't it? _He nodded in response to his own question as he left the room, the sounds of laughter echoing from behind the closed door.

This is a Page Break

"In other words, the IS was originally created for space work, so the pilot is covered in a special armor. Also, the armor has the ability to increase body functions and keep the pilots in a stable state. This increases the heart rate, pulse, lung capacity, amount of sweat lost, amount of endorphins produced and the speed of the human reaction among other things." Maya explained as she taught the class. Ichika resumed his usual position of grief and confusion while Yukito with the hairpin replaced merely started blankly at the teacher. The class was moving very smoothly until a certain girl happened to raise her hand.

"Sensei, isn't it kind of scary to have the body manipulated like that? What happens if something goes wrong?" A girl asked hesitantly.

_That isn't really a very baseless concern. _Ichika mentally noted. _It would be scary to realize you were being transformed into some cyborg without your knowledge, though I can't say the benefits don't outweigh the cons._

"No, it won't do anything drastic like turn you into a cyborg." Ichika felt somewhat dejected when he heard this.

"Let's make it a bit more relatable then. Everyone here is wearing a bra right? If that has the same kind of biotechnical support the IS has it will still have no reason to have any negative effects of humans, on the contrary it should prove beneficial even in the long run after prolonged use. Of course, like the fitting and optimization phases of the IS, it should be according to your measurements and…" Maya explained before suddenly stopping.

That was when Maya and Ichika's eyes met, and the room fell utterly silent. She then proceeded to amend her explanation. "Oh, Orimura-kun, that isn't really something that applies to you does it? Well you don't really have to know any of that." An empty laugh escaped her lips as the entire situation just went to downhill.

All the other girls in the room decided to fold their arms in front of their chests in an attempt to hide them while Ichika proceeded to pondering.

_What, what did I do?_ He mentally asked while multiple death glares came his way. _Hey, I'm not that sort of pervert who wants to see those just because somebody brought it up, though on a side note, I never said I didn't want to either…_ _I can't seem to calm down no matter what, if you know what I mean. Ah, get your mind out of the gutter Ichika! Okay just don't look at anything, just straight ahead, just like what Yukito is doing._ He resolved to stare blankly at the teacher, just like what his seatmate was doing the entire time. Come to think of it, he hadn't moved from that position since the start of the class, and that was no source of suspicion for Ichika.

"Yamada-sensei, please continue with the lesson." Chifuyu mandated, her voice enough to completely irradiate the uncomfortable atmosphere and calm the class simultaneously.

"Oh? Okay." The student-like teacher quickly composed herself, donning the aura of a professional educator faster than the way she reverted back into a hormone-possessed schoolgirl a short while ago.

"Well, another thing about the IS that we should cover is that it has some sort of a consciousness. That makes it basically sentient, and therefore treated with as much respect as you would a friend. In the long term it will be there to assist you and adapt itself to your needs, so treat it like big partner and not just a tool." She regained the aura of a teacher quickly enough and soon the students began asking questions.

"Sensei, is it like having a boyfriend, the relationship with the AI I mean?" Another girl just decided to pop a useless question or bring the class back to hell again. Still Yukito did not honor it with any reaction, just impassive silence.

"Well, that, mm... It should be that kind of feeling. I haven't experienced it before, so I don't really know. I think it should be like that, but I'm not really so sure. But I wonder..." And Maya was at it again, letting herself get distracted while the class talked about any relationships they had or wished to have, some even mentioned the white-haired prince and the black-haired blockhead as possible candidates.

This was a situation that the siblings, especially the one who knew the white prince better, would react in a way both rebuking and beneficial to the situation. He would say something that would put Maya's previous eloquence, Ichika's charm and maybe even Chifuyu's authority to shame. But no, Yukito did nothing in response to the situation and as such, there was nothing but chatter, and this worried the main teacher of class 1-1.

"Is there something wrong Orimura-kun?" Maya asked the boy as he was pondering on the sweetness overload in the air. He was surprised and so waved it off naturally.

"No, nothing at all Sensei." He said in slight panic as the teacher turned towards Yukito.

"How about you, Sumeragi-san?" She asked gently, in the same way she asked Ichika, though gaining a different response.

"You can't prove anything! I was not stealing any data, if anything those hooligans were taking some of _my_ research. But if you want me out so badly then fine! Good luck completing the codes for tactical thought process cloning without me!" He screamed with utter rage etched into his face.

With a quick scan of the room, he scratched his head and nervously chucked. "Oh my, I must have fallen asleep again, awfully sorry for that. Is there something you needed Yamada-sensei?" He returned the question as respectfully as possible, smiling in apology after the scene he knew he caused.

They were about to open their mouths to reply but the bell was his savior yet again. Chifuyu mere shook her head before they both stepped out of the room beginning their pilgrimage back to the office.

"I say, Orimura-kun."

"Do you have time during the day?"

"Oh, oh Sumeragi-kun."

"Over here, over here, I've a question, I've a question."

"Do you have time after school?"

"How did you get in here, I thought only Orimura-kun could pilot an IS?"

"Do you have time at night?"

It only took a few second before the two boys were surrounded by half of the class each, excluding Houki and Cecilia, each female shooting their own question at the poor boys.

Ichika was thoroughly confused, very torn about which question to answered, especially since each girl was giving him a 'come one, please talk to me' look crossed with the infamous 'puppy dog' eyes. With such a combo, he was putty in their hands and would have answered any question, if he had the time to talk that is.

The other boy was taking it rather well, using them against themselves in order to avoid talking entirely. The mass was too busy firing off questions at a rate that would put his own sister to shame that they did not factor in that they would have to keep silent of they wanted to hear any reply. He was content listening to their ramblings but then the magical summon was invoked.

"What's Chifuyu-sama like at home?"

"Well, you might be surprised to know…" Ichika was cut off by a heavy blow to the head. It took seconds for him to realize his sister was behind him and obviously come up with the best response to quell her furry. "Chifuyu-nee, I didn't see you there. Sorry if I did anything wrong or anything but…"

"No time for chitchat, Orimura, so I'll just cut to the chase. Your IS will not be ready for you until after some time, so you just have to wait for now." She said as quickly as possible, very eager to watch the reaction. No, not her brother's reaction, but the reaction of the other students. She knew that if she would tell any other student here the same thing she told him, they would be so filled with excitement that she would have to bash them to stop the squealing. Her brother had a much, different, reaction.

"What?" _Yup no doubt about it._ She concluded. _He has no idea what I'm talking about. Let's see if repeating it doesn't solve this. _She thought before rearranging the sentence.

"It's just as I said, since the school has no IS for you to use, therefore they will provide you with a Personal IS. Your only problem is that it would take some time before it is completed so you just have to wait for it." She said, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to make its way on her face.

The class started buzzing again, a string of comments like "A personal IS? For a first year!?", "Aw, I want my own personal IS too.", "Does that mean the government is supporting this?", but it looked like he still knew nothing of the situation.

It was just too funny, the way her brother acted; entirely oblivious to what she was talking about. She had her fun, and with a reluctant tone, she spoke. "Read page 6 of the textbook if you don't want to look like an idiot. I suggest you do it quickly before anything like yesterday happens."

"Oh…Okay... 'Today, even though many countries and enterprises engage in Infinite Stratos research and development, all information related to manufacturing the central component, called the Core, has never been released. The IS core is a combination of an AI and a power source so complex that no one other than Doctor Shinonono has succeeded in manufacturing one. The cores of the 467 IS that exist today were all personally created by, Doctor Shinonono. However, Doctor Shinonono has declined to create more than a certain number. As a result, all countries, organizations and enterprises are forced to do their research, development and training with their allotted number of IS cores. Trading of cores is strictly prohibited by Title 7 of the Alaska Treaty...' Oh, so that's how it works." He said unintelligently.

"Now do you understand?" Chifuyu asked dryly.

"If you don't, it's basically like this. Number one fact is that there are only limited number of cores out there just above 460. Number two is that only Doc Shinonono can make them, so the limited number would stay that way. My personal favorite is number three that you are now a test dummy for this new IS they're developing for you, congratulations hamster man." He said with too much mirth for such a grim situation.

"Sorry, I meant guinea pig man." That line kind of explained everything.

"And what about you?" Ichika asked in a somewhat annoyed tone. "Don't they have an IS for you to test out? Since I'm not the only male out here that could pilot an IS that must mean they're developing another test prototype for you to take for a test drive."

He was met with silent stares from both him and his sister, and soon the realization dawned on him. "What? Don't tell me I'm the only one being tested? It's that or you already have your own Personal IS and we both know that the second option is nigh impossible."

"No, He does not have a Personal IS, yet." Chifuyu began the explanation she knew she would owe the one who asked. She just didn't expect that to be her brother. "

To make a new student, a freshman no less, a Personal suit is already enough of a burden on the school as it is. To add another one would be impossible at this point, so you would be the only one obtain a Personal IS. It would help you in your fight with Yukito and Cecilia so being observed is but a small price to pay." She said reassuringly, seeming more like a sister that a teacher at that moment. But it could only last so long, as she nodded to Maya to start the lesson. If only it was that easy.

"Um, Sensei, is Shinonono-san related to Doctor Shinonono?" Shizune quickly asked, being one of the first two put their names together. It was never the most common name in Japan so it was only inevitable for it to be brought up, though Ichika prayed that it would have gone a few more days before someone would ask.

This was something he was always afraid of, no matter the school. He knew perfectly well how his sister responded to questions not related to herself after all; with horrifyingly and brutally honest answers.

"Yes, your classmate is actually her younger sister." She said with a smirk while the class burst in an uproar.

Ichika was deep in thought though, noticing the look on Houki's face when her name was but mentioned. He scoured his memories, but he did not find a single image of them being together. She would always be alone training or with him in class.

She never once talked about her as well, always being silent when anyone asked her about her family. There was even one time she got into a fight with a poor kid with glasses just because he asked about her sister specifically. He decided to keep those thoughts to himself, until he sees any confirmation to his suspicions.

Several girls squealed at the realization, though a certain metaphorical sword cut their hopes down. "I am not that person!" Houki screamed in fury, silencing any person who would dare bring up the subject of Tabane Shinonono. With the entire class practically cowering at her feet, she spoke with a much gentler tone.

"I apologize for shouting but I have no idea where she is nor do I know if she is still alive. I am not her and I can't tell you anything about her. I sorry to disappoint you all." She explained before taking her seat and staring blankly at the window, a faint dash of grief on her face. It seemed like the entire atmosphere was at a standstill, until Maya spoke up, after a nudge from Chifuyu.

"Okay, please open your textbooks to where we left off, we will be continuing from there." Maya looked concerned about Houki as well. For once, she actually looked like a professional teacher. The lesson finally started. All textbooks were flicked open though three students had their minds wandering elsewhere.

This is a Page Break

"Well this is quite a relief, at least one of you would be able to put up half of a fight during our battle." Cecilia announced proudly, making her way between the desks of Yukito and Ichika.

"Though I can't say the same for you, vermin. You would just have to watch me crush your partner after you've been tossed aside like the trash you are." She then gracefully turned back to Ichika to resume her gloating. If it wasn't for the fact she was being a total simpleton, they would have appreciated such grace.

"Even if you do have whatever sorry excuse for a suit you would be using, the victor is already obvious. You would end up just as easily tossed aside as your friend would be, come the real battle." That was the last straw, for both of them. She was talking as if she had already won.

"Is that so Cecilia-san?" Ichika asked innocently. "And why, pray tell, do you say that? The match hasn't even begun but you seem to be crowning yourself with laurels."

The boy was something else entirely, in a level of his own when it came to subtle deception. It took Yukito seconds to discern that he was making a fool out of her, a time lag he only experienced when he was talking to the sister of the man in question. He remained silent for the time being while Cecilia's haughty smirk only grew wider with his false ignorance.

"Oh, so you still haven't figured it out yet, have you?" She asked with her own false worry. "Don't fret, as a noble, it is my duty to educate the commoner regarding such minor details. As you know, I am Cecilia Alcott, one of the greatest pilots Great Britain has to offer, and as such I have my own personal IS." She ended, observing the two, waiting for the awe and amazement that should have been etched on their faces.

"Should have been", being the key words in this matter. She fumed inside as they displayed nothing but stoicism, their countenances not even twitching at her declaration. The face of the white-haired boy changed soon enough, though it was from a blank stare to a wide yawn.

"So?" Ichika deadpanned, probably sensing the righteous rage of his companion and stepped in to make sure it would shrink before being released. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew his sister well enough to sense that his anger was eerily similar. Nope, there was just no way for this to end well for Cecilia, no matter what he tries to do.

"That's it! Stop making fun of me! Don't even try to deny it!" She yelled as she slammed his desk with tremendous force. His notebook soon found itself on the floor before another salvo of scream rang out. Ichika would hit her if he could have since it looked like she was just adding fuel to the flame. At the rate she was ranting, the already great inferno would dwarf the sun and consume them all.

"We discussed this before, only 467 cores exist in this entire world. To put it so that even you could understand, the people who are chosen to wield a Personal IS are considered to be the elite even among the elite, chosen from about four billion plausible candidates and trained even further from there." She added with anger, supplying the two dimwits with knowledge they already knew.

"Wow that is some news." Ichika said in amazement, giving up on trying to restrain Yukito. "So if we factor in the males, that must mean the world has a pollution of about seven billion, give or take. To think that it was just a few million in the old times, how fast man multiplies." He said with a tone trying to imitate a grandfather reminiscing.

"You're making fun of me again!" She screamed, her hands coming down on the table again, this time knocking the textbook off. This was about the time Yukito had had enough of her ramblings and decided to take a stand, literally and figuratively. As soon as he rose to his full height, the room changed, ominous pressure overflowing from him.

"Is that all you came here to do, Cecilia-san, gloat? And once more, you come to give as either information we already know, or over exaggerated rumors that are mere fish tales when scrutinized." Yukito stated with his characteristic monotone, though each word contained the killing intent that was terrifyingly unequivocal.

"I planned to apologize to you for my outburst but you need an attitude adjustment, girl, and I'm afraid that I will have to give you one. Mark my words, and mark them well, no matter how much preparation, how much of a tactical advantage, how much power, how much knowledge, how much skill you _think_ You have over me, it will do nothing to stop the beat down I will give you. Come hell or high water, you will fall, and I will be there watching as you desperately try to salvage what honor you have left." He then turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.

Both Cecilia and Ichika soon released the breath they didn't know they were holding, no doubt from the mere pressure of his reigned in rage.

As he walked down the hallway, his anger could still be felt emanating from his form. The walls threatened to crack and crumble under such intense pressure, but it was also the way it flared and shrunk like a beating heart. If the sun could beat like a muscle then he would be wrapped in it, immune to its searing flame while he carried it around like a dress shirt.

All the corridors were empty, despite it being lunch with all the girls who weren't Cecilia being wise enough to run into the nearest room and pray to their gods that he wouldn't choose to enter. As such it was deathly quiet, no sound being heard on the entire floor, or even the entire building except for the light sound of leather striking the floor, the only visible indication of his anger.

That was until he felt something change, a presence just entered his senses without his permission, and therefore it won't leave without it. A pair of hands extended from behind him, but at the speed they were moving, it didn't look like it would be enough to even touch him.

As he expected, they made their way together to cover his eyes but as soon as they threatened to touch his skin, he moved. The pair of hands continued pulling back, but instead of touching his face it met empty air while the prey she was trying to capture stood behind her ending it in a back-to-back fashion.

"I'll only ask once since I am so not in the mood for talking, who are you and what do you want?" He said pouring as much force into his monotone, something that would make most girls here soil themselves despite their ability to wield superweapons. Though the one behind him didn't seem to notice. On the contrary, she seemed to be giggling, as if in some twisted way, the entire situation was a scene from a comedy.

"I was just wondering why the hallways were so quiet today." The girl behind him began, not showing any signs of trying to face him. He took it as proof that she learned not to mess around with him, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I can seldom eat in peace with so many people after me but then they just stopped coming all of a sudden. I just wanted to know why, then I found you!" She said before trying to embrace him from behind like a small child, though he evaded as easily as he did the first time, completely disappearing from sight before appearing a short distance in front of her. He sighed inwardly as soon as he made the connection, her appearance being a dead giveaway.

The girl in front of him was beautiful, no doubt about that. With a very lascivious figure and delicate features, she was without a doubt one of the more appealing girls in the academy, though if her uniform was of any indication, she was a year ahead of him. About shoulder length hair pained with the color of the sky flared slightly outwards, framing a face that held a pair of soft crimson eyes and a smile that clearly surpassed his own when it came to radiance. If he wasn't seeing things, her expression looked very similar to his roommate's after he made her watch that video, albeit without the wanton laughter and rolling on the floor.

Added to the standard uniform everyone wore, she had a short yellow overcoat that did nothing to hide her womanly curves and deep maroon stockings that blatantly showed off her shapely legs. A small hand rose from behind her, holding a closed fan as she placed it close to her chin, her smile growing bit by bit as the moments passed. He knew there was something in store for him, and he didn't like it.

He knew her, he wish he didn't but life seemed to chuck monkey wrenches at the rate of a machine gun when it came to him. She was the scion on the Sarashiki clan, one of the most well-known families when it came to manufacturing anything related to the IS. They were very heavy competition in Japan, though with Mayumi's wisdom, the two parties managed to cut a deal between them. It didn't mean they were on relatively good terms though, his sister still doesn't see eye to eye with the Sarashiki Patriarch until, well,they never really did see eye to eye.

The first time they met was in a party the two families had to celebrate their new partnership, incidentally it was just a few days before his own kidnapping. Even after he returned from his long isolation, he made a conscious effort to be out when the Sarashiki requested a meeting.

It was because it scared him to the core to find out she was still the same tease she was back then, only his still blazing anger masking his fear completely. He knew that it was possible she could still recognize him, though his family always used aliases when it came to business interactions.

She turned away for a moment, while he decided following in suit was the best course of action. He turned out to be right as he laid eyes on what she was talking about a few moments ago. Hiding around the corner of the hallway was a girl armed with what looked like a pair of identical wooden swords, though she seemed very unsure on what to do at that point.

She seemed scared, utterly terrified of him for a reason he knew too well, though by the way she was dressed it looked like she had an ambush in mind. His thoughts wandered towards that line of thinking and he finally put it all together, the girl before him was being attacked, by multiple parties if her information was right, though the reason still eluded him. He saw no need to kill a person based solely on how annoying they were, so there had to be a better reason.

_Nope, she is just that bad then._ He concluded.

He took notice of her intentions quick enough to retaliate, his hand quickly twitching while her fan moved in for the kill. It would never touch him, the only parts spurred into motion being the part of the fan her hand was holding with the rest of it staying in suspended animation for a split-second.

But even that moment faded, and the rest of the fan fell, separating into smaller and smaller slivers of whatever it was made of until the only thing that hit the floor was splinters and shards. He then turned on his heel and walked away, just gently brushing past her and whispering as he went.

"I think the Student Council President should be doing more productive things than assaulting freshmen."

This is a Page Break

"Begin!" The kendo world champion of the female division mandated as the two combatants entered their stances.

It was just after Ichika and Houki started their spar when Yukito entered the dojo. The entire day he was fuming, not even taking his anger out on the President reduce his ire. As such, he did what any hormone driven male would do at a time of great emotional turmoil, he sought a fight. He came to the dojo looking to look for, then challenge the team captain only to wipe the floor with her, but he found something even more interesting for the day.

He only heard rumors that Ichika would be under Houki's tutelage, but now that he confirmed it, he wanted to see what it was like for himself. He wished he had a bit of popcorn for this one, the fight was going to be good; utter novice against world champion.

Houki dashed first, an overhead slash cut through the air before striking Ichika's head. It would have hit if he didn't raise his own shinai, deflecting the blow before answering in kind with a diagonal slash aimed for her head. If the blow was a bit less obvious then it would have probably have connected, but this was a world champion he was fighting, such a blow would never have had a chance of hitting.

It was quickly defected by flick of her wrist, though instead of attacking, she decided to retreat for a while. If only Ichika were to let her retreat, but that wasn't the case. He charged after her, giving her all the advantaged she needed to end the match. It was a pinpoint strike, she just skewed his slash by a small degree but because of the amount of force he placed in it, it missed her entirely, allowing her to strike a hard blow to his head, ending the match.

"Again!" She commanded, taking a few steps back and adopting her previous stance while Ichika nursed his head for a while before bouncing to his feet and looking for weak points.

He didn't have enough time to find one as his opponent charged again with ruthless efficiency with another strike from above as her opening move. As before Ichika manages to deflect the first but the second came much faster, pushing him to complete defense. Then it rained, the wood in Houki's hand transforming into a beige blur that only he could see it as it cut air, striking Ichika's guard only to bounce and return.

Her style was a perfect embodiment of the words, "The best defense is a good offence," striking with such speed ad ferocity that Ichika could not help but defend. This was looking hopeless for the boy, but Yukito caught his eyes widening and his small smirk.

Just like what Houki did before, he nudges Houki's weapon ever so slightly, changing the trajectory of the entire slash and leaving her wide open to another attack. He came to strike her head but failed to see the same smirk on Houki's face.

In a moment it was over, Houki using her failed slash to step forward, spin and strike Ichika's head faster than he could make the blow connect. If he didn't overcommit on the blow, he would have seized the opening when Houki spun to amplify her momentum. He didn't so he lost, both.

"What the hell was that?" Houki screamed as she took her headgear off. "That was two matches, Ichika. You lost both and it hasn't even been fifteen minutes! How did you get so weak?" She was berating him even if the stands were filled to the brim with spectators.

They all looked on curiously as the two on the mat continued to bicker like newlyweds. "How pathetic. We are going to have to retrain you! Forget the IS; you're supposed to be a man and you can't even beat a girl in kendo? Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Ichika?

"Well I have been studying for the entrance examinations. I should have studied a little more if I knew I would end up in this place." He said bitterly as he stood back up, trying to reclaim what was left of his honor.

"It's not exactly fair either, Houki. You're the world champion, I think it would only be expect for me to lose to you. Give me a break Houki. But then, I guess I feel a little embarrassed about it." He said trying to calm the raging girl down, but like that afternoon, it was just useless. Yukito just looked on curiously.

"Embarrassed!? You're thinking about embarrassment at a time like this? Oh, I see, it seems all so clear now! You're happy to have so many girls to show off for! You really did become such a pervert after we parted ways then?!" She screamed at him relentlessly as he flinched.

_Ouch, that must have struck a nerve_ Yukito thought as he watched the entertaining couple. Really popcorn was needed.

"How can I be happy about this?! I was forced here! It's either that or I would end up in some laboratory for experimenting! If that wasn't bad enough, I'm being whipped like a dog here, by my teachers, by some of my classmates and now you! And to top it off all, I have to live with a girl! What kind of farce do you think this is…?"

"Oh, so now I'm unbearable to live with!?" She was already in mid swing when Ichika realized it and he raised his hand instinctively to try and block the blow, only to notice his shinai was not there anymore. The large impact was heard around the room as the other boy ended up in between the two combatants, holding off her weapon with his left hand, just his left hand.

He smiled at their reactions, Houki's expression was particularly enjoyable as the girl had surprise rage and a tinge of fear and hesitation covering her face. Ichika just looked on in awe while Yukito broke the deadlock with a massive push, forcing her back to the other end of the mat in a herculean effort. Then he spoke, very eerily.

"Sorry to cut in but I've been waiting for a good excuse to fight all day." The boy said with no hint of sincerity, slightly frightening the two. "So this is how it's going down, we fight with informal rules, one has to yield or step off the mat. On your mark." He concluded with a smirk with nothing but bloodlust packed into that radiant visage.

Houki took a few paces forward to ready herself before nodding at Ichika, who took the position as referee. The newly appointed official spared thoughts for both of them, fearing for Yukito since he wore no armor and his childhood friend hit like a truck, and worrying for Houki since the speed at which he moved was barely human. It was a battle of strength against speed, and from the looks of things, the victor was all but certain. No one knew if the silence lasted for moments or hours or even days but it came to an end all too soon.

"Begin!" Chaos ensued.

Houki planned to charge first but she was beaten to the punch with Yukito on the move as soon as the first syllable left Ichika's mouth. He moved much too casually to be going that fast but in a heartbeat, he closed the distance. A surprised Houki delivered an overhead slash, but instead of resistance, she met empty air; Yukito already on the other side and with an attack of his own about to connect.

With the skill of a champion, Houki blocked the diagonal slash, albeit with much effort on her part, and responded in kind with an uppercut, the exact opposite of his own attack. In response, he leaned back to barely evade the attack and execute a horizontal slash. With a deft movement, Houki pulled her hand down just in time to block his slash, though she was pushed back a few paces before she launched into a counter attack, going all out this time.

Ichika also noticed that they were both holding back, as Houki was moving very sluggishly while Yukito's footwork was faster than his swordplay. That changed as Houki paused for a while only to charge again with a maelstrom of strikes, swinging from every direction with all her might.

She struck with her full strength and skill, moving at speeds Ichika knew he could never hold a candle to. The heir to the sword style of the Shinonono clan was going all out, something she had only done once before in ruthless fury, and the one who first fell victim to the monster of a fighter was reduced to a weeping wreck.

Though what had surprised him more was the phalanx Yukito put up in response to the girl who struck with reckless abandon. The girl held a more powerful attack though the boy brought up an ultimate defense, parrying each of the strikes with surgical precision while his eyes never left hers.

He was caught in a similar position, though instead of worry, he found confidence in Yukito's eyes, as if his shield was impenetrable. The boy just watched in awe as the two combatants continued their battle, one fighting with peerless strength and a perfect offence while the other defended with unmatched speed and inhuman calm.

There fight continued to drag on as Yukito moved faster, his strikes beginning to outpace Houki's own while his footwork allowed him to dance around the young maiden. From a stalemate between two stationary combatants, the fight evolved into a dance of cuts, strikes, and parries and blocked with the young man leading while the girl desperately tried to chase him down.

Houki began to pick up the pace as well, cutting the air Yukito should be the next instant with renewed vigor, though not to enough to land a hit while Yukito managed to continue his dance, blocking and parrying only when needed, dodging the rest of the time and striking all though out the fight.

Even as Houki predicted where he would be, the boy just dodged though another opening in the cage she tried to set up, mocking her with halfhearted strikes and an abundance of flourishes.

In the middle of one of Houki's rage fueled attacks he did something totally unexpected, he threw his sword upwards.

All in the room collectively gasped as they watched the wooden weapon twirl hypnotically in the air, missing the crucial moment Houki recovered from her attack and simultaneously swung with all the strength she could muster. The overhead slash would have connected if he did not grab her hands just before the wood touched him, restraining her long enough for the point of the shinai to strike her squarely on the head.

"Men." Yukito said cheerily as he caught the shinai in a reverse grip before it reached her shoulder level, striking her once more with a flick of his wrist to snap her out of her stupor. "That was a fun fight Shinonono-san, so I hope we could do this again sometime. Good luck Ichika, you have one hell of a trainer with you. Oh and I yield by the way."

He handed the sword back to Ichika before walking out of the dojo without a word. It was only after he left that the audience realized what had happened and reacted the only way they knew how to after such a long fight. Amidst the cheers, Houki looked worriedly at Ichika, a sight the boy was not used to seeing even during his childhood.

He didn't know about her feelings for him but even he realized something was wrong. "Houki, what's the matter? You looked like you've seen a ghost with that pale faced of yours."

"We need to, step up your game, if you're really fighting, him" She said in between heavy breaths, though the fear in her trembling voice did not go unnoticed. That was more than enough to freak him out, since the last time he caught Houki talking like that was after he made her very angry or when she came to him very frightened. He figured out it was the latter in a heartbeat, though he found himself questioning himself if he really wanted to know what scared Houki.

"Why?" His voice tingled with uncertainty as he looked at his childhood friend who looked she was condemning him already, like she knew he didn't stand a chance to win.

"How many times do you see he hit me, Ichika?" She asked curiously, but the look on her face said she knew the answer already, and it didn't help boost his confidence at all.

"I saw two hits near the end, right before he left. Why?"

"I don't exactly know how many times he hit me but I'm pretty sure it's much more than twenty times that."

This is a Page Break

"Okay, now it's starting to hurt!" Yukito screamed at no one in particular form atop his bed. It took all his concentration not to collapse until he reached his room, even then each step closer to his bed felt like a mile each. His body felt like it was burning, and it was like molten steel coursed through his veins. He was heavy, and tired for using so much energy in the fight with Houki, he just needed a little rest. That was his main objective before he heard the door open, not the door he entered through, but the door next to him.

"Hello, Yuki! You must be having another one of your episodes again, which means I can do this." He couldn't even move his head to look as a pair of arms hugged him from behind, though between that and the bouncing bed, he could barely feel anything at that point.

He couldn't even muster the strength to say anything to stop her, further reminding him of the price he paid when he overdid things in combat. What he did feel after was a small tickling sensation on his neck, then the quick jolt of pain he felt soon after.

"If you're wondering what happened, I just injected you with a special blend of concentrated stem cells, your blood type of course and a synthesized chemical even I can't pronounce to aid in your regeneration. It would take a while though, which means I can use you as a plushy all I want!" She said gleefully before pulling him into back into position that a bit too intimate.

"Please stop Tenshi-nee, I'm tired." He managed to force out, trying his best to break away from her, though in his weakened state he could barely move a few inches before she pulled him back in.

"Tenshi-nee, I just had a fight, I need to rest a while before I go and get dinner, people will get very suspicious if I stay here too long. What if someone sees you, huh, or worse, sees us like this? Mayumi-nee is going to kill me…" He was quickly cut off by a delicate finger placed on his lips and with the smell of oranges filling his nostrils, he just cowed.

"Nee-san is here to make sure you do get your rest and not get into another fight anytime soon." The woman he called Tenshi rebuked him gently before pulling him closer to her body, rendering him perfectly immobile. He could feel her warm breath down his neck as she sighed softly, perfectly content with her current position, much like a cat when it sleeps.

"We both know what happens when you abuse your speed, and how much of a toll it takes on your body after. I just want to make sure my little angel sleeps well tonight, so just let sister do what she's supposed to do." She whispered affectionately into his ear with a voice that made his body tingle. He couldn't help but nod when she got like that.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Yukito found it proper to speak. "It's been a while since we were like this hasn't it? I guess it really has gotten more peaceful since then, seeing that you have enough free time to come here, and they had nothing for me to do other than try to be a bit normal for a change. Wouldn't you agree, Tenshi-nee?" He said with what could only be described as a hollow voice, a voice of one who gave the world everything only to be left with nothing but pain.

It was sad a reality for a child so young to be able to talk with a tone like that and it made Tenshi embrace him tighter as if trying to take away the painful memories he would never speak about go away. No child should be able to talk like a war veteran without even trying.

"Yes much better. Even Mitsuko-chan is going to school, and just like the Third she is one of the Twin Empresses. I stopped by a while ago and it seems even the Third and myself have more spare time than usual. Things seem to be changing for the better this time." She said with a pleased tone, before taking a turn for the worse.

"Though, I have a sinking feeling that it won't last much longer. Ever since the other little guy popped, things have been getting hectic for you, not to mention entire world. It's only a matter of time before we mobilize as well, then even the other two will get sucked in. That's why I paid your sister a visit, and why I'm here right now, to get to see my little angels one last time before I have to go back. But enough about that for a while, we have to get you ready for your fight with the blonde!" She suddenly perked up after sounding a little depressed.

"Oh, right, Onee-san told me either Mitsuko-chan or you would bring me my IS." He said excitedly, suddenly being reminded about what his sister and he discussed early in the morning that day. "So, did she get everything right this time?" He said, though another thought crossed his mind.

_Did Mitsuko-chan help Mayumi-nee do any of the actual work? Oh, this would be catastrophic if she did! If all that stopping power would actually be turned into stopping power then my suit would tear itself apart! Oh this could be bad. _Shoving all other thoughts out of his mind, he began to ponder on his suit.

"Relax, Yuki, I helped your sister while Mitsuko-chan went out with Rikku. Oh you should have seen them, Yuki, they were so adorable I could just eat them up." Tenshi yelled, extremely giddy.

She always had a thing for children, probably a maternal instinct always on overdrive whenever she was around people younger than her, Mayumi included even if it is only by a few years. She could never resist showing them a little bit of affection if she knew them even in the most estranged ways and when she didn't, she'd always wear a welcoming smile that even beat his by a long shot.

"Your sister is right though, you suit is strangely large for no apparent reason. Are you overcompensating for something? If you are, let me tell you right now, don't feel too insecure about it. You are the only other boy here, so it's not like any of them have a choice. Just promise me you'll use protection, okay?" She said with a motherly tone but with no hint of malice.

"NEE-SAN!" Yukito yelled, though it wasn't nearly as effective as he planned considering he still couldn't move and flail like he wanted to. But to be fair, she said that a bit too naturally for a young woman, sounding more like a perverted old man who loves balloons and hangs out with toads.

"NO, JUST NO! There is no way in hell that I'm going to do that, here, willingly! Do you know what Chifuyu-nee could do to me?! I'll be better off dead than facing that demon of the sword! If she even thought I was capable of doing something like that, I would have died already, and that would be the day she let me off with a slap on the wrist." He was right of course, though he knew, in the back of his mind, that there is no way she could hear him right now. She might have been the closest thing he could ever have to a mother, but was just too loose and carefree to be seen as such.

"Oh, but I just bought you a box just in case." She teased before taking out a black container out and waving it in front of his face. _Oh god, she's not bluffing. I am so dead!_ He thought as his brain finally registered what she held in front of him.

"It would be a learning experience, so just jump at the chance when it comes your way, you know you want to." She said seductively as a pair of hands snaked their way down his blazer, slowly undoing buttons as she continued her assault. He began to take deeper and more breathes as he tried to keep himself distracted.

"We both know you're not a child anymore; it's funny really, the way your reacting to me of all people prove that. You know what effect you have on people, especially of the opposite sex, and who knows maybe you'll find The One here. Come on, Yukito, you know you want to." She did not give him an opportunity to reply as something wet and rough danced behind his ear, circling a few times before moving towards his cheek.

That was it that was all he could take before his limit was reached. He, as an honorable, chaste and gentlemanly male, took the only course of action left to spare his sanity. He had already started panicking, to an almost comical degree, only impeded by the fact he was paralyzed, so there was only one thing left to do. He soon lost consciousness.

This is a Page Break

"So, Houki…" Ichika began like a timidly while she just looked in his direction. Her expression was one of impatience while the boy just tried to keep her from bursting with fury.

"What Ichika?" Her expression didn't lie as she snapped at him, half in anger and half in anxiety, though the latter was blanketed by the former. Something was eating at her.

"Nothing, I think I'm just over thinking this. Though she's a Representative Candidate, so this is just to be expected right?" He was worried, even if he knew he was ready as he would ever be, something was eating at the back of his and everyone else's minds as well, and that was the other unknown variable in the equation: Sumeragi Yukito.

Needless to say, Ichika was very surprised after she claimed he hit him in excess of forty times without _anyone else_ seeing it. To claim to strike a veteran of the blade that many times was unheard-of, and to do it so fast they might as well have been in private was usually thrown out as impossible, but what would Houki gain if she lied to him? He trained with the blade and he hit the books almost as hard as Houki hit him when they spared, though he felt that it wasn't enough, like there was nothing he could do.

"Maybe you are just overthinking it. Just remember what we trained, and you should be fine. If he was to move that fast again, then it would be best to just call for a tactical retreat. Our match lasted a bit over fifteen minutes, so if that would take him out of commission for a day, then he would lose the match just as quickly as you would if you get caught." She said reassuringly, quickly reminding him that the reason he was late the day after the fight was due to fatigue.

So if he were to use his "Godspeed" as he liked to call it, then it would have to take them both out fast or else he would lose after a few minutes. They also discussed that it only applied to the swiftness of his strikes since footwork would be useless in an aerial battle. He started to regain confidence after she spoke, only to remember one crucial detail, the true heart of the matter, the elephant in the room.

"Wait, What about training me with using the IS? What happened to that?" He demanded, while Houki just averted her gaze in response. "Come, on, Houki! At… least… look… at… me… when… I'm… talking… to… you…" He desperately tried to keep up with the girl, who continued to keep a step ahead of him. To any other onlooker, it would look like they were dancing to music only they heard, with Houki twirling to keep him out of her vision and Ichika struggling to keep in step with her and eventually face her gaze.

"It's not like we could have done anything anyway. Your suit is still unavailable, so there would be nothing we could have done." She rationalized in a deadpan manner, quickly stopping the boy from making a fool out of himself any longer.

"It was best we just train your body for the time being, since if we got a training unit, it would not be tailor-made to your body. We did all we can for this so just shut up and focus." She mandated cruelly, and he was about to fold like a 2-7, before pulling a flush from the river.

"I guess you're right there… Wait a second, aren't there other stuff from the textbooks. There should be valuable information there too, so what about those?" He shouted again before she looked away in embarrassment. "Come one Houki, look at me!" He managed to say it straight, giving up on trying to get her to face him.

_She's right though._ He thought, conceding her point. _My suit is still not here, and it's already the day of the match. Though they say there was some trouble about it, but does that mean it has to be this delayed?_ He thought, deciding silence was the best course of action at that point. Though he would get his answer soon enough, in the hands of a certain student lookalike.

"Orimura-kun, there you are!" Maya shouted as she came barreling into the hangar, running so awkwardly that Ichika would have bet 1000 yen that she would fall. It looked like she was running from a long way off since she was panting heavily when she got to them. It was such a strange scene that even the students spared a moment to watch worriedly.

"Relax, Yamada-sensei. Here, take deep breaths, okay?" Ichika said equally anxious before going into a demonstration. "Breathe in, then breathe out. Inhale, then exhale. Yes, that's it. You can stop now." Imagine his shock when she actually begins to hold her breath, and she continued to do so until she turned red from the lack of the oxygen. Both the students were close to tears at her display, laughing of course

"What's wrong? Wasn't that long enough?" She asked innocently while an immature chuckle escaped Ichika's lips. Little did he know, divine retribution was about to be served, courtesy of a certain notebook with enough bloodlust to overpower a cursed shinai.

A loud crash resounded in the hangar as Ichika turned to face the demon of the school. "Respect your teachers, idiot." She grated out mercilessly, as the pain that could only be described as the full weight of a charging glacier that crashed on his skull fully registered.

"Chifuyu-nee" He began in a pained voice, though after falling victim to so many strikes it was only proper that…

Another crushing blow connected. "Call me Orimura-sensei when we're at school, how many hits will it take for you to remember that?!" She demanded after striking him again, though with much more force. The other two looked at him with different expressions Houki looking at the scene with indifference while Maya cast a pitying gaze at the young boy.

"Oh and even before you think of something stupid like, 'the reason nee-san doesn't have a boyfriend yet is because she's too rough,' let me stop you right there. If I didn't have to worry about your wellbeing, I would have gotten married by now" She said while keeping the blood from her cheeks.

He raised his finger to retort, then he realized she said exactly what was on _his _mind, and so he hung his head in shame. It was at that point, Maya decided to point out the reason they were all there. "Oh, Orimura-kun, I almost forgot. Your Personal IS has finally arrived! There it is, Orimura-kun's personal IS, the Byakushiki." Though it looked like everyone took the opportunity to throw in their two cents.

"Hurry up, Orimura, we can't stay here forever and the battle can't be that long either. You will have to undergo fitting and optimization on the fly, so just get out there and make sure you win." Chifuyu shouted, though the last part was barely audible, and blocked out by what the other two said.

"Ichika, if you see yourself as a man, this kind of battle should be nothing for you. Get out there and show that pompous Brit who's boss." Houki exclaimed, though it was also lost in the sea of scream. They shouldn't be talking at the same time if they wanted Ichika to react differently.

"What?" He asked, looking very much like an idiot at that point, more than he usually does at least.

"HURRY UP AND GO ALREADY!" All three of them bellowed in unison, spurring him forward towards the hatch doors that were slowly opening; the dramatic reveal has begun. The first thing he saw was the white, the inorganic white that covered every inch of it, save the blue claws and the solid feet. The arms were heavy bracers that covered the entire forearm while the legs were greaves that looked like it would elevate his stature by a few a foot or two at most. Then there was the case of the wings that basically floated behind the large white machine, making it look more inorganic and menacing. It looked like a solder standing at attention, waiting for its commander to will it to move, to fight.

"So this is mine?" he asked sounding more like an idiot more and more after time went by.

"No, it's mine." A voice came from behind, bringing all of the attention on the speaker.

Yukito smirked as he entered the hangar form another door that opened, fully armored in one of the training suits, though the suit itself wasn't exactly identical. The armored skirt that protected the legs and back of the original was not present, at the same time the armor on the arms was much thicker. The shields over the shoulders were slightly enlarged while the heels on the feet were filed down. Other than that, it looked exactly like an Uchigane

"I just came back to give you this Uchigane to use, so you can be at an even bigger disadvantage against the blonde princes outside. Of course it's yours you idiot." He said as he laughed a little, quickly stopping as no one seemed to follow in suit. "Man, tough crowd…"

"Well now that you seem to be finished talking, Orimura, mount up already! The quicker we get this done, the better." Chifuyu screamed as Ichika fumbled his way to the machine. "Lean back and just let it do the work, it should be like sitting down. The system will optimize itself automatically." She explained as the suit closed over him, letting out all the excess air with a hiss.

The weight he felt climb over him soon disappeared as the machine covered his once bare chest, linking with him perfectly in the process. With the mental link came information and augmentation to his senses, his sight and hearing getting clearer while numerous sensors started sending him torrents of data.

Numerous values and displays popped up, ranging from the remaining shield energy, the status of the armor itself to biological data like his heart rate and oxygen concentration. Each and every one he took in, understanding all of them in perfect clarity as if he had known them ever since his childhood, and he smiled at his virtual omniscience.

"_Several other IS suits detected."_ The suit said, or rather sent the information straight to his mind, something akin to telepathy. _"Pilot: Cecilia Alcott. IS codename: Blue Tears. The IS in question is a long-range type and has special modifications to supplement this, specifically the two pairs of wings which provide additional stability for sniping. Other unique armor characteristics include…"_

"The sensors seem to be in order, and so are the biotechnical enhancements. Ichika, are you feeling anything wrong?" Chifuyu asked with a hint of concern, something that didn't go unnoticed with Ichika's enhanced senses. He easily spots the difference in her usual tone, the crack in her stoic mask and responds appropriately.

"No, Chifuyu-nee, I'm perfectly fine."

"I see, well and good then." She deadpanned, making Ichika raise an eyebrow.

_She's worried about me, I'm sure of it. She didn't even call me out on what I did._ He paused for a while before continuing, very irked by her lack of response. _She didn't even read my mind on that one, something's up. I better be careful then, this might be more difficult. _

He then focused more on his childhood friend who was more silent than he expected. He could see she was about to say something, but she couldn't spit it out. She must have been worried about the fight as well, even if they trained fighting a professional who was on a different scale altogether was frightening, so he quickly moved to reassure her.

"Houki, I'm going." He said with a confident smirk.

"Then, win this!" She shouted as he got into position, leaning forward as he prepared to take off. After a quick nod and a thumbs up, he rose from the ground and gave the thrusters all the energy they needed to make a beeline for the gate and into the sunlit arena

**AN**

**That ends the third chapter**

**the next chapter would obviously end up as the fight while the pain our good old OC Yukito is feeling for being too OP will be explained in the next chapter**

**The questions of the hour are, Who is Tenshi? What's her past with Yukito? Why is Kanzashi not rooming with him? How will a new combatant affect the outcome of the battle? What the hell is Tatenashi doing so early in the story?**

**Well to answer some of the questions, you just need to click next since i cut the chapters for**** convenience.**

**To the folks who thought there was a new chapter, sorry, so many friends of mine told me to stick to about 12+ max so i decided to cut it.**

******Please review, and PM me if you guys have any more questions! **

**See ya **


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR: White Emperor, Cerulean Artist and the Black Flash**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

His own mind was blank but only because of the background calculations his suit, Byakushiki was doing. Every moment brought a new change, either in data or the actual suit, though so miniscule it escapes the naked eye. Even the values displayed to him were vastly different changing from one code to the next with astounding speed.

This was nothing like the first time he operated the suit, or even during the IS Academy entrance exam. This was the fitting for a Personal IS, a process that melds two existences together in perfect symbiosis so it was only natural that such a bond needed time and adjustments. But he knew this was not the time to dwell on such minor problems, as the true enemy smirked victoriously before him, and the neutral party landed on the sands below.

The Blue Tears was beautiful cerulean and despite being there to fight it, Ichika couldn't deny it looked pretty good. The leg armor was streamlined to the maximum without sacrificing defense and stability with blue orbs on the sides marking the knee joints while the foot parts looking like pincers or spikes to clamp on the ground. the arms were elegantly shaped, and like the legs were covered in green trimming that looked more than a decoration; quite possibly an omnidirectional sensor array more powerful than what is normally present in an IS.

The wings assumed the appearance of four scimitar blades, a blue crystal surrounded by two smaller ones in turn surrounded by two larger ones, all arranged like an upside-down tear. Two more wings floated around her back area, possibly added for improved stability while shooting. Similar smaller pieces of armor hung behind her waist, making the suit look more elegant and regal, though, like the green trimming, they seemed to hide a second function. Finally a large blue crystal was fastened to her forehead, most likely her main sensor.

"I'm surprised you didn't run away." She said with a hint of pleasure as she looked down on the two boys, putting a hand on her hip while the other held a large ornate rifle downwards. She waited for the signal to begin before continuing her perverted version of diplomacy. "Well, I assume it's only fair that I give you one last chance." She said arrogantly, pointing at both Ichika and Yukito.

"A chance?" Ichika said with his usual tone while Yukito remained silent.

"Obviously this won't end well for either of you, considering the fact that you're fighting me. So here's the deal, if you don't want me to practically wipe the arena floor with your mangled and barely breathing bodies, I suggest you apologize now." She said while her eyes narrowed, going from arrogant to deadly serious. Ichika just received the message that she was about to fire and quickly glanced at Yukito, who was still looking at both of them with a strangely vacant expression.

"Sorry, no deal." He sneered, though his arrogance had a price.

"That's too bad then." She said before quickly raising her rifle at him with practiced efficiency. "I bid you goodnight!" Then she fired, a blue bolt of energy made a beeline for Ichika.

It would have landed if a thin yellow beam didn't intercept it in time, causing all eyes to turn to the origin of the counter attack. Eyes widened as the sight of Yukito looking wide-eyed at a black pistol of ornate make in his hand. If one were to look closely, they would see that despite it being a pistol, it was strangely large, even for an IS weapon.

"That was lucky." He said sheepishly before turning back to Ichika. "Hey, Ichika, Don't be so careless! I don't think I can deflect another one of her shots. That was just a misfire." He warned as Ichika looked back questioningly to respond, only to be shot in the back and sent crashing to the ground. As he got up, he was met with another sermon.

"I just told you to be a little more careful, but no, you turn you back on an enemy, giving a sniper, of all things, a still and very large target." He berated Ichika while shooting a salvo of yellow beams, each directed towards a blue bolt that left her weapon.

Shot after shot, they were at a standstill, with Yukito controlling the pace with his faster firing weapon and Cecilia struggling to keep up. He was smiling as Ichika looked on with awe at the boy who kept pace with a Representative Candidate, no he forced her to keep up.

"I thought you said you couldn't deflect her shots?" The one in white asked curiously while a sly smile formed on the face of the one in green.

"I did, didn't I?" His smirk grew even wider as Ichika raised an eyebrow. "Though I never said I couldn't force her to deflect mine. Having a weapon with a faster fire rate does have its perks. Though I have to apologize, Ichika, this is a fight so it would be such a shame if I leave you out of it. You have ten seconds by the way…" He said as another pistol materialized in his hand, the barrel leveled at the poor sap. In reflex, he took to the sky in an attempt to escape, only to have both his shoulders clipped simultaneously.

Ichika wasn't having the time of his life, that much is certain. After he felt a sonic boom cutting through both his arms, all he wanted to do was pass out. Quite unfortunate for him as he found out that the IS has an anti-vertigo feature, something that kept him from passing out even if he felt in excess of 4 Gs' on his chest at the same time electrifying his entire torso with enough power to keep him awake.

_"Defensive armor has been pierced. Damage taken: 50. Remaining Shield Energy: 550. Actual damage is low, please be more careful. ;)"_After he recovered, he resumed his erratic flight path desperately trying to avoid beams of yellow and blue directed at him. The origins of the projectiles and recommended actions were being sent to him at startling speed, something too quick for him to properly react to resulting in…

"Focus on the one shooting at you, Princess." Ichika turned to hear Yukito shout as five beams of yellow light were sent to shoot down a couple of blue bolts. "And Ichika, really, fight like a man or something. Running doesn't suit you at all." He ended as he leveled both pistols at the girl and firing, forcing Cecilia to take evasive action to avoid one stream while shooting down the second torrent of beams, effectively keeping them at a standstill.

The display was wondrous, with the green suit unable to fly trying in earnest to shoot the flying princes, who did her best to evade and land her own strikes if she had the time. The colors clashed and cut through the sky, filling the arena with a pleasant glow, a glow that bellied the danger behind the projectile and the amount of destruction that would ensue if it touched any solid mater.

He was rooted in place, well maybe not rooted since he was flying, as he watched the two combatants struggle for supremacy, cursing his own weakness as he still couldn't participate despite having his own personal suit. In anger he called for the weapons list, though it was hardly to be called a list considering it only had a single item on it, a close-quarter combat sword named "Name Unspecified".

_It's not enough that they made my suit send messages with emoticons, now they don't name my one and only weapon?!_ He mentally bellowed as the sword materialized in his hands. He swung it a few times to test the balance of the 1.6 meter blade, before charging into the fray himself and making a beeline for Cecilia.

He would have reached her if not for something strange happening as soon as he moved: Yukito stopped shooting, instead choosing to dodge the blue bolts of energy instead of returning fire. His decision gave Cecilia a bit of breathing room, and a perfect opportunity to pay more attention to Ichika as seen when she leveled the barrel at him and began firing.

Ichika hurried to dodge the beams, shifting towards the side as the deadly blue rain only increased in magnitude. His efforts weren't in vain though as inch by inch he managed to get closer and closer to her despite being clipped here and there by the blue bolts of light. He was about to shorten the distance to about 30 meters when something very strange happened again; she stopped for a while and laughed. No shooting, or any other attack, or even explosions, she just laughed at him.

"This is your brilliant plan? To come here and slash me with that sword of yours, even if I'm using a long ranged type. That is the best you have? If it is, then dance for me, dance to the waltz being played by Cecilia and the blue tears." She taunted, resuming the rain of bolts while Ichika continued to evade. Several bolts still struck his machine though an even greater amount zipped on by to strike the ground or the shield that defended the audience. He was getting better at evading, no it was more than that.

The suit itself was modifying itself to him, making some things much easier for him like dodging the bolts and even seeing the part she was aiming at. In a few moments he would be close enough to finally land a blow on her.

He accelerated to the left and preformed a role in midair to dodge a blot aimed for his face before shooting towards the sky to evade ones aimed for his chest. Together with gravity, he descended from above, swooping down like a hawk and quickly closing the distance, bringing him to the moment he was waiting for. That moment came quickly, as he finally reached striking distance the ends of her tear shaped wings pointed towards him and just as he raised his sword to strike, the four tear shaped crystals together with her own sniper rifle fired, sending five beams of light straight to a single point on his chest.

"Still can't believe it took you that long to figure out why her IS was called the Blue Tears. Come on, man, the four tear shaped crystals on her wings aren't just for show." Yukito scolded him in a way that was not unlike Houki's sermons. "What's strange about this is that she used them so late in the game. If she used that move early on then it would be very easy to pick us off one by one, something must have forced her to change her mind. If I'm right then there's only one thing left to do."

Yukito smirked as he shifted his gaze from the grounded Ichika to the floating Cecilia. "Ichika, this might be the best time for you to start running from here. It's going to get very messy, very fast."

"Why, what are you going to do?" the other boy asked as he got up, feeling the sense of foreboding the suddenly filled the arena. Even Cecilia stopped shooting as soon as he landed due to the immense pressure weighing on their shoulders. He knew it was Yukito's doing, but it was only until that moment that he realized just how powerless he was.

"Get serious."

This is a Page Break

"So this is finally it." Chifuyu said to no one in particular as she watched her little brother distance himself as far away from the other two combatants as possible. Yukito just rose from the ground with what looked like an Uchigane shocking everyone in the arena including Cecilia who just looked on with curiosity. "He's finally going all out this time, or at least treating her like a proper opponent. Isn't that right Mayumi?"

The other two in the room failed to grasp what she was talking about until a beautiful woman dressed in long black jacket with a mandarin collar seemingly materialized out of thin air beside the teacher. She sent a friendly gaze coupled with a radiant smile towards Houki and a nod of acknowledgment to Maya before she replied, her voice the exact same one heard over the PA systems the week before.

"Yup, his First Shift, something that should never have seen the light of day finally catches a Sliver of Luminescence. In a few minutes the floor of the arena would be covered with Ceremonial White and will be wet with sorrow of Blue." Mayumi said proudly with that smile of hers, a smile that could only be made low with Chifuyu's terrible scowl, and even then it was still bright enough to light up the entire control room.

"That's very poetic of you. How many days did it take for you to figure that one out?" Chifuyu asked impatiently, definitely irked by the appearance of her old acquaintance.

"Oh, that's mean Chichi! You only think of me as an acquaintance. As for the pun, it was much easier than getting Tabane's attention the first time around. I thought you would be better to hang around with, but you're just as heartless as she is. She doesn't even talk to us anymore, I thought we were all friends back then, right?" Mayumi spoke with the tone of a complaining child, and in concert with the ability to read even Chifuyu's mind during special circumstances, her presence only served to irritate Chifuyu further.

"We have no time for this now, Mayumi. The primary concern is making sure this battle doesn't turn into a killing, and judging from the schematics you showed me there's a good chance of that happening. What were you thinking when you gave a child that much firepower, it's insane! We made sure that the English placed limiters on their tech, but your brother's pretty much a wild card at this point. If he so happens as draw blood during this fight, I will make sure he goes home in a body bag." She promised threateningly.

The other just continued to smile as the temperature dropped to a few solid degrees below zero before she spoke. "A few flaws in your threat Chichi, the first being his weapons don't draw blood. The heat levels on those bullets, oh yes their solid projectiles and not particle beams or lasers, make certain of instant cauterization or evaporation of body fluids at the moment of contact so no liquid blood would be present. Your second flaw is making him go anywhere without his consent is almost impossible after he reaches his First Shift."

She smiled a bit more slyly than anyone in the room might have been comfortable with. "Don't worry, I placed the limiters in myself, he won't kill anyone anytime soon."

Doubt was in her eyes as she watched his transformation intently, at least that was her intention until black fog enveloped the entirety of his IS even extending as far as a 10 meters from his original position. It only lasted for a moment though and as quickly as it appeared, it was violently sucked back into his armor.

Yes armor, since whatever it was that stood on the arena floor could no longer be classified as simply an IS. One of the main differences was its size, it was enormous, roughly three and a half meters from head to toe and easily towering over any other IS in existence. It was also fully armored, looking more like the full body of a giant man rather than a human being in a traditional IS, which just covers the legs and the arms. A gargantuan and ornate breastplate composed of several large angular plates overlapping over each other covered the entirety of the upper torso with only an opening in the frontal abdominal region revealing another series of smaller overlapping plates that provided added protection inside the cuirass.

Its shoulders were encased in overlapping pauldrons that pointed out sideward resembling a pair of robotic wings and was large enough to reach the cheek of the giant creature while several plates extended downward, covering the thick arms in the same fashion as the torso armor. Gauntlets enveloped the giant's arms ending in large claws towards the hands and heavy armor tipped with trio of sinister spikes instead of a regular elbow. The main bracer sported a large blade spanning from the theoretical tip of the elbow to the wrist of the clawed hand, obviously intended for unarmed combat.

The legs were in streamlined greaves with a diamond "V" shaped armor on the knees and a blade on the tip of the large boot and the heel of the foot. It even had extra shin and lower leg armor and special plate coverings akin to small blades that added a more sinister appearance. To look at the leg armor was to imagine what it felt like to be kicked by a running chainsaw adding to the suits combat ability even when unarmed. On the back of the calves and all over the back of the beast was a set of miniature thrusters arranged in a special formation to increase acceleration, maximum velocity and maneuverability while the thighs sported smoother plates of armor that betrayed a more sinister purpose.

Its head was a hidden from sight by a series of plates resembling a hooded mantle, as such only shadow was seen when one looked into its face. As light was reflected inwards, only a plain mask without any openings would be seen, making it look like fighting a faceless enemy. Or maybe it would be to avoid looking into the enemies' face.

The entirety of the suit was adored with several golden lines that spread from the chest like veins, much like the blue tears, except these pulsed with power, changing intensity at a moment's notice. The last difference was the fact that it lacked wings, or the part that usually floats behind the IS.

"Wow, I have to hand it to you, Mayumi, I don't think anyone could have expected this." Chifuyu said with much surprise and a hint of humor as the metal giant began to test its limbs, its hood shifting its gaze left end right as its hands began to move and twist slowly but powerfully.

The movements it was doing was not unlike an athlete warming up before his event, or a fighter testing his limbs before a skirmish."A mighty glacier huh? Not the best choice in this case, but still usable if he plays his cards right. Though I pictured him preferring untouchable speed over overwhelming strength."

"Just watch, Chichi, I'm sure even in this state Yukito-kun still has his share of tricks. Besides, it's not polite to go all out against a lady." Mayumi muttered cryptically.

This is a Page Break

"What in bloody hell?" Cecilia was shaken out of stupor when the black giant summoned the pair of pistols in reply and began to let loose a torrent of fire, forcing her to focus solely on weaving through the holes and evading every beam to ensure survival. She noticed several differences when he began to try and shoot her down, unfortunately none of them would tilt the match in her favor.

_What is that thing? How did he get such firepower?_ She wondered in fear as the fire rate of the side arms that now seemed to fit perfectly in his hands seemed to increase after his form changed, rendering any attempt to counterattack impossibly futile.

_I was able to keep pace with those things a while ago, but now even using my BTs would be useless. As soon as the opportunity comes, he will just shoot them down with those monsters of pistols he uses, then I'll be left virtually defenseless. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but if that useless swordsman doesn't do anything soon, I'm going to be done for._ She analyzed as she continue to weave through the wall of fire.

"What, this?" The giant began to speak, not even laying his arms down to allow his voice to fill the arena unhindered or his enemy any form of respite.

"It's something that would lose to an Uchigane if you played your cards right, though obviously that's something you didn't do. I mean, come on, did you really think you could explain how those drones work and still pull out a win?! No! You're just a little girl whose arrogance landed her in a position she can't escape, even with all her toys! You are the perfect picture of the woman of today; an arrogant, piece of self-congratulatory garbage that holds her head up high _just_ because she has immunity to ridicule; Someone who treats men like dirt just because of a _possibility_ she can wield a suit like yours, then do some real damage, like, oh I don't know, challenging a pair of novices to a fight just because you were_ justifiably_ slighted! How can you look yourself in the mirror and smile at the sight of what you are? You're a stuck up, snobbish, elitist spoiled, condescending egotistical and conceited little brat who has nothing better to do that walk all over other people just for the false reassurance that your actually important! WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER THINK IF SHE SAW YOU NOW?!" He had long stopped the onslaught of fire to watch his prey hover in morbid stillness, the girl being fully gutted by the questions he asked. He was right of course, something she just saw as he slammed it right in her face, all the flaws she acquired in perusing a noble cause. _When did I lose myself?_ She wondered as tears threatened to fall.

"Enough!" She gasped as the black behemoth turned on a dime to block a 1.6 meter blade with his right claw."This was supposed to be a fight to prove her wrong about us, not stoop down to her level." Ichika said flatly as the claw continued to repel the blade.

The girl would have to be a fool not to see the pity and anger in his eye as he started down the faceless giant, his teeth grating as his hands trembled to keep the contest of strength in his favor. "This was supposed to be a fight to show her that we're not as weak as she said we were, that we weren't about to descend to trickery to beat her."

The blade began to lean closer and closer towards Ichika's face as the giant began to put in more effort to break the deadlock. "You just insulted a girl, man, and made her cry! Where's the honor?! That's! Just! LOW!" He shouted before being overpowered by a gargantuan push.

"So you're her knight in shining armor now?" Yukito asked sarcastically from inside his mask. "Well then bring it, Hero!" Ichika only had a chance to look up from his fallen position to see a black blur barreling towards him at a speed that should be completely impossible for such a large form.

He raised his blade to block as a large claw was thrust forward, effectively throwing him off the ground before he managed to halt his movement in midair. He smirked victoriously as he looked towards the Representative Candidate, the crowd favorite turned silenced observe, if only to lift her from the depths of her sorrow, but that was before the giant took to the skies with the ease of and speed of a rocket.

She watched silently as the two combatants clashed in their savage, unforgiving melee, claws clashing against sword in a fight for supremacy, one fighting in the name of honor while the other attempting to ruthlessly rend his opponent apart in cold blood.

Ichika continued to lose ground as the battle dragged on, uppercut, overhand, straight, hook, cross, the punches enhanced by the presence of great bestial barbs rained down on the white champion while his sword struggled to keep up with the assault. A gaping opening was suddenly spotted, and with the quick mind of the warrior he decided to capitalize on it with a quick upward slash, only to find his sword caught between the dreaded black talons and the second arm winding back to deliver a devastating haymaker.

With little thought, he ducked under the heavy limb and darted the opposite way, using the giant's momentum against him to pull out his blade form his claw before finally landing a strike from behind. The giant's back jolted upright at the impact of the blow while Ichika sped just out of mauling range and waited for his enemy to face him. The victorious smirk on the Ichika's face was not lost on anyone in the arena, save for the giant who still had his back turned.

"You managed to land a blow on me. What a crowning achievement, tell me, do you want a medal with that face?" Yukito snapped viciously as he turned around slowly, as if giving the other boy a chance to hide before what happens next.

"Not even scratch, you land a blow on my shields that didn't even strike the metal and you look like you already won. I'll give you one thing, Ichika, you had the guts to prioritize fighting me over her. It's getting better, isn't it, your suit? Your movements seem more refined, quicker, and you seem to have gotten more of the wasted movements out of your form, though that isn't nearly enough to beat me. You want a fight, boy? Then I think it would be fair to grant that request." He said as flatly as possible, the tone of his voice betraying no hint of emotion save crippling apathy before he summoned a weapon into his hands.

With a flick of his wrist, a large scythe flickered into existence and like his counterpart, he spun it a few times to test its balance.

The main blade of the weapon was about half as long as the three meter shaft that held it, though that didn't count the actual curve of the laser-edged blade. The blade itself looked like it was made out of multiple pieces of solid plating, inserted into one another to form its crescent shape, the structure starting from the largest piece nearest the shaft before ending at the fourth piece, the final point of the blade. An ornate spade-like blade extended at the other end of the shaft, intended for use just in case the enemy got a bit too close for comfort.

At the back of her mind, a voice screamed "DANGER" regarding the blade thus snapping her out of the trance she was in, the memories of their earlier clash still fresh in her mind. At the sight of the weapon the giant held, she spared a moment to think.

_Close combat was never my forte, though giving him ranged support would end this much quicker. If we do defeat this…monstrosity, then I might still have a chance at regaining my honor. I will, of course, give him enough time to ready himself again before I end up using him as target practice._ And with that, she silently promised herself that she would win, for herself, for her pride, for her parents, for her mother.

She quickly lined up the shot as the scythe was raised, easily changing the course of the blow and giving Ichika an opening to strike though again a black hand reached out and caught the blade and both his hands, this time opting to throw him at the sniper to take them both out. She easily evaded her surrogate partner turned projectile and released her drones, each one of them darting to different directions before firing once, only to quickly change position to fire again.

It would have been useful he was a tad bit less used to being attacked from all directions as he effortlessly dodged the bulk of the assault only being nicked once or twice by the occasional prison of lasers. He quickly shifted his gaze to her when it seemed evident that Ichika wouldn't interfere, all three of them knew that it was more than possible for her to swap alliance and start aiming for him, and quickly threw his weapon. The new projectile force her to use her rifle to deflect the weapon while the giant darted towards the weapon to confront a waiting Ichika.

With the scythe in hand, Yukito began the clash with an overhead slash, a move easily blocked by Ichika's sword before pulling back on the weapon and carving a gash on Ichika's back. With first blood awarded to the enemy, Ichika recklessly charged to counter with an overhead slash of his own before the smaller business end of the polearm made a beeline for his exposed chest, tearing another unsightly fissure into the armor.

Even as he was struck, he payed it no heed as he continued his charged, though as his blade finally began its decent, a side kick to the gut managed to fling him a good distance away. More strikes came at the speed of lighting as Ichika's blade cut through the air, thirsting for blood, though air was all it found while Yukito's scythe peppered Ichika's suit with more gashes, though they were quickly shrinking in size as the suit formatted itself to his body.

After a few more moments of trading blows, they came to a stalemate; each of Ichika's attacks were quickly blocked while Yukito's counter thrusts were dodged or parried. Yukito would initiate with a sideward swipe, only to have the blade blocked by the sword before Ichika deflects it over his head before blocking the dagger blade before it could connect with his leg.

With a parry it was gone through a diagonal slash much faster than he thought possible soon took its place. More and more still came as he stayed on the defensive, perfectly blocking a weapon that capitalizes on the enemy's lack of experience to land killing blows, though he had another enemy; fatigue.

A four blue bolts exploded as they struck the giant's form, each dealing damage as he staggered back a little to regain his stance. He looked up to see the drones deployed once again, while the woman he broke stared at his empty face with eye brimming of resolve. "This fight isn't over yet, not by a long shot!" Another series of bolts together with a white sword struck the giant's armor, pushing him back by another foot.

Cecilia smiled as they finally caught him in a bind, to dodge the bolts that were fired like rain, or block the sword that struck like lightning. They couldn't help but smirk as the perfect storm ravaged their opponents shield points, allowing Ichika to land dozens of blows if not sending several bolts towards his as searing his armor. The scythe would block the blade of the sword, only for a bullet to dig into his armor. And as he tries to deflect the rain of energy, a sword of silver eats its way through steel like it was nothing.

Victory was all but certain until Ichika fell half a second behind, giving Yukito ample time to deflect his strike and summon his pistol to shoot the first drone down. Their eyes widened at the sight of the large explosion and using their surprise, the giant pushed Ichika back with another slash to the chest, doing a good deal of damage while striking him of his breastplate.

"Good, good. Your cooperation is impressive to say the least, putting into perspective that you are too arrogant to consider teammates…" Another series of bolts were defected with his scythe he nonchalantly spoke. "…and you are a first timer." As Ichika charged, he used all the momentum he gathered in spinning the scythe to deliver a slash that converted the entirely of the giant's mas into force, throwing him several meters back.

"Though I have to say, those things are more annoying than I first expected." He said while firing his pistol at another drone before deflecting Ichika's strike.

"But if there that durable, then it is of no consequence." He then grabbed his opponent with his free hand and tossed Ichika like a ragdoll, sending him hurtling towards Cecilia faster than she could dodge and shooting down another bit with a swing for his arm.

"Come on you two, don't tell me that's all…" He couldn't finish his sentence as Ichika tackled him from out of nowhere, knocking him out of the sky and kicking up sandstorm that filled a quarter of the arena.

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Ooh...Sumeragi-kun and Orimura-kun are amazing!" Maya Yamada was watching the live broadcast of Cecilia's, Ichika's and Yukito's fight on the screen in the control room. To say she was impressed was an understatement.

"I can't believe this is only his second time in an IS, and one restricted to only one weapon at that. Sumeragi-kun is even holding both of them back at the same time, and Alcott-san is a Representative Candidate. If this is their first time, then what would happen if they had training?"

"That idiot." Chifuyu, on the other hand, looked rather irritated.

"Sumeragi already told them that a training suit could dismantle his…whatever that is if properly used, and that seems about right for now. The fact that it's taking them this long to defeat a first timer is simply unacceptable. Plus, he's about to make one of his more reckless mistakes."

"What? How do you know?" Maya asked innocently.

"See how he keeps clenching his left hand? Whenever he does that, he starts making a fool out of himself. He had that habit since he was younger, imagine my surprise when he did that halfway up a tree." Chifuyu sighed, she knew what was coming and she didn't like it one bit. "How's Sumeragi doing?"

"Yuki-kun isn't taking the battle seriously either." Mayumi sighed in exasperation, knowing her brother he would have to be angry enough to kill in order to go all out. "If he was even remotely serious then this should have been all over by now. Even if it's made of glass, a cannon is still a cannon, and he's not even using it. My bet's that he'll lose."

"Wow! To know that much, you both really must be their sisters!" Maya hadn't meant anything by the comment, but Chifuyu was stunned, though Mayumi was still saddened.

"Ye-Yeah. How do I put this… even though he's an idiot with the tact of a brick wall, he's still my brother." She muttered almost incoherently while Mayumi…

"Huh? Oh, just like Chichi said, we are siblings after all. What kind of a sister would I be if I knew nothing about what was going on inside that head of his?" She whimpered.

"Huh? Are you embarrassed? ARE YOU BOTH EMBARRASSED?" Maya asked with an innocent expression, though the sly smile on her face bellied her true intentions.

A bone-crunching crash resounded throughout the entire control room; the point of origin? Maya's head.

"OOWWWWWW!"

"The one thing I hate the most is to be made fun of!"

"Yes, yes! I know, I know! Sorry, I'm sorry! So please let go of—OWWWW!"

"Chichi, let the poor girl go, it's not like violence will solve anything-Hey don't start with me to-OWWWW! OWWWW!"

Houki was completely unaware of the commotion behind her. She was too busy staring intently at the screen, watching Ichika's every move, slightly cringing whenever Yukito managed to land a blow on him. Her normally sour scowl became even more frightening as the battle dragged on. Houki wasn't a praying type of person, but her hands were folded in front of her in a gesture of petition, so what else could it have meant? In reality, a maelstrom of emotion was raging inside her, just barely contained in her form.

_Ichika…_

Houki bit her lip, as the battle shifted again, this time, against their favor.

This is a Page Break

"You've given me much more trouble than I expected boy, but I'll save you for later." Yukito said slyly as he tossed Ichika away for the fifth time before shifting his gaze towards Cecilia. As soon as Ichika was a good distance away, she began firing from her drones as well as her rifle, nailing him in several areas before he shot of the ground, intent on ending her.

"I thought you could only shoot these when you kept still, but apparently…" He said as he dodged every bolt that came from the three beam launchers. No that's not it.

The moment she pulled the trigger on all three weapons and with the accuracy of the sniper she was, there was no doubt it would have hit. The prison of beams were positioned in such a way that there was only one path of escape, but that was if the enemy was in an IS. If the enemy was any bigger, then the possibility of landing a hit should have been 100%. _Should have been_ being the key words, again.

If his face was visible, then the audience would be treated to the sight of a twisted smirk, filled with confidence, rapture, but stained with predatory corruption that it couldn't have been anything other than evil. They would see that expression before he moved. He moved, there was no other way to explain what had happened when the beams crossed just past his left flank.

Then he raised his arms, pistols at the ready before letting loose the yellow beam that destroyed everything in its path and sent them against the blue drones. They might have been made of paper as the beams tore through them, and they detonated as he passed by.

He rode the wave caused by the simultaneous explosion of two drones, allowing him to accelerate further and in turn face her in much less time. He was aware of her intentions but he managed to check the airwaves before taking any action. The sly smirk on her face did nothing to stop him from moving closer at an astounding speed. if anyone else was in her situation, the sight of a speeding giant with a scythe as large as its wielder would have made them panic on the spot, but a smirk played on her lips, feelings of triumph and relief filled her countenance..

"Sorry, but there are six blue tears." She said nonchalantly while her skirt armor folded up towards him, displaying a pair of guided missile launchers primed and ready. She couldn't see his face, so she imagined it would be horror stricken while he tried his best to evade the twin missiles it couldn't have been further from the truth. Deep under the armor, Yukito chucked knowingly and with a voice full of...pity

"Do you know why I prefer the tango to the waltz?" He said cryptically, enjoying the instant she finally comprehended what he meant. "It's because you can't cut in.

Yukito shot straight up revealing Ichika in hot pursuit behind him, though unlike the black giant, the white dunce couldn't maneuver away fast enough. Yukito decided to take a quick picture of their expressions as they realized solid organic waste was on a collision course with a manual rotational atmosphere circulation apparatus while the former enough force to make the big bang seem like a the sudden popping of an inflatable rubber orb at a gathering for prepubescent homo sapiens.

Needless to say, he decided that he was posting that particular picture was going online as an explosion rocked the arena ever so slightly

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"ICHIKA!" Houki shouted as the explosion shook the control room, though that wouldn't be surprising since they were comparatively nearer to the explosion that everyone else. The slight tremor was enough to break the supposed adults in the room to cease their little battle of their own and stared at the screen as black as the giant that caused the destruction. They looked at it curiously for a moment before several different expressions floated up onto their faces.

Chifuyu let out an irritated snort, though one would have to be blind not to see the relief that practically covered her face. "The machine managed to have him from that, idiot." She said in an irked tone, while Mayumi looked at her with an emotionless expression.

As for the reason it was emotionless, it was because so many expressions were threatening to make themselves manifest that none of them could overpower the other. Happiness at the fact her brother was enjoying himself was beaten down by disappointment that the other two were still standing. Disbelief that Chifuyu could be so heartless was covered up by laughter that Maya's mouth could open so widely, seriously you could fit a puppy in there.

As if on cue, the smoke seemed to clear like a large curtain being pulled, showing off something magnificent. It was snowy white, sharp contrast to the dark that previously surrounded, slowly glistening more and more intensely as the fog rolled away.

This is a Page Break

_"Formatting and optimization complete _"A voice stated mechanical in the depths of Ichika's consciousness. Actually, He couldn't really tell, his eyes had been closed ever since he saw the rockets intended for Yukito flying towards him with a vengeance.

_"Please confirm to start the transformation process. Come on, hurry up!" _It said again, though this time, the voice sounded a bit more feminine than the last time. Brushing that thought aside, Ichika stared down the button conveniently labeled "confirm" and pressed it.

That was just the beginning of everything. Suddenly vast amounts of information flowed into him, giving him the feeling not unlike the entire ocean being thrust down his throat. The sheer volume was simply staggering, though he understood it like it was simple math or a matter of breathing easily sifting through the atmosphere of data until only a sphere of light remained in his mind's eye.

He instantly realized that the ball of light was his IS, shifting and changing to perfectly suit his person, his entirety. As the smoke faded, his IS looked different, and all the damage dome previously was instantly repaired. His senses tinged with the anticipation of a battle, this time he was absolutely ready.

"You were using the standard settings all this time?!" The shock on Cecilia's face was surprisingly pleasant for a change, a nice deviation from her arrogant or sorrowful self. "No one should have lasted that long against _that_ without using a full-fledged suit! Tell me can this day get any more unbelievable?!"

_Uh oh, tempting fate is never a good thing._ Ichika though while his mind went on overdrive, his senses searching for the giant that should have been much easier to find. _He's going to start shooting again, isn't he?_

"You're both wide open!" A voice bellowed from the other side of the arena while two beams of yellow closed the distance instantly. Ichika shifted to the right only to get one of his new wings almost blown to pieces while Cecilia tried to climb higher only for her rifle to take the brunt of the blast."That takes care of the Brit."

Both pistols were leveled against Ichika as the rain of fire continued, though with his new found speed, it was easier for him to evade. His sensors detected every single beam headed towards him and his suit automatically blazed a path form him to follow to ensure not damage was sustained.

He corkscrewed to the side to evade three heading for his chest before taking a dive to dodge the two aiming for his wings. He zigzagged across the ground to confuse the enemy while his speed skyrocketed as he made a sheer climb to evade the ones aimed for his feet. More came in speeds he could barely anticipate though all struck empty air of the arena floor as he danced through the rain of light, evading all the projectiles sent his way.

"Sorry for letting your ammo go to waste Yukito." Another pair of rounds were evaded with a tight corkscrew forward. "But I'm afraid I can't get hit anymore." He climbed as another two made a bee line for his chest. He knew he was safe with the sun on his back, no one could see him and not get blinded, especially with the improved sensors of the IS.

"With this sword, I'll protect my family! From the day I was born, it was always my sister protecting me, even until now in the form of this sword. I refuse to remain the one behind another, always the one being defended always the one waiting for a savior. It would be such a tragedy if Chifuyu-nee couldn't show her face because of her useless little brother. So for my sister's honor with the weapon she wielded, I, Orimura Ichika, will strike you down!" He shouted with the blade overhead, poised to strike.

The sword in his hand arguably underwent the most change of one looked close enough. Before, it was a simple piece of steel fashioned into the shape of a katana. It was a simple design and made for a simple purpose, to cut through steel with the ease of cutting a piece of string. Though now the blade ad undergone a change, being made with the same method as Yukito's monstrous scythe, though made with three parts instead of five and with a fissure in the middle, possibly made with the intention of channeling energy in mind.

He was proven correct as the blade split into two in mid swing, both halves folding into each other, forming a larger cross guard while allowing the immense amount of energy to flow out in the form of a straight blade. It was a magnificent piece of workmanship, made for the successor of the first ever champion. The giant didn't have a prayer.

The giant attempted to catch the hands of the warrior holding the blade, but it was just too late. His Suit operated too much like an IS it let such a weapon that close to its pilot and deployed the shield even if the blade was still a few inches away from the armor. With the shield effectively rendered useless by the immense amount of energy his blade generated, there was absolutely no alternative that could be used to repel it save for the Absolute Barrier itself.

The Absolute Barrier was a shield that could defend against any attack with a theoretical limit of an explosion several times as powerful as the world's entire nuclear arsenal during its peak. Despite its indomitable strength, deploying it would drain all energy from the suit, and not just the energy devoted to the shields; the energy routed to the thrusters, life support systems, main computer and weaponry is effectively sacrificed to protect the user for about ten seconds. After that, the pilot is a sitting duck.

"Two combatants have been eliminated" The speaker declared just after a beam of yellow struck Cecilia right in the chest. Right before the blade made the slightest contact on the black armor, five shots were fired in quick succession, each was sent and detonated the four missiles Cecilia launched to kill the two birds before her. The entire arena waited for about an eternity before the speaker continued the announcement.

"Winner," the entire arena was silent as the pilots patiently waited for the declaration. The intelligent ones bet on Ichika winning since he was the only one not struck, while other bet on Yukito, who had battled the two since the true form of his suit was revealed. "Cecilia Alcott."

"Huh?" Three voices questioned simultaneously, Ichika form beside Yukito, Cecilia from the highest point of the arena, and Houki from inside the control room. Maya was still reeling from the dramatic pair of speeches Ichika deliver about honor and family while Mayumi simply smiled knowingly as her brother stood straight, defeated but still graceful in his loss. Chifuyu stared straight at Ichika with a look that held nothing but utter contempt, though only Mayumi could see that gentleness and relief in her gaze.

And with that, the three way battle between the Blue Tears, the Byakushiki, and the Hakko no Hahen ended with the Blue Tears standing above all.

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"You managed to create the perfect hero versus villain confrontation with corresponding colors and the girl watching on the sidelines, the entire audience was on your side as you fought, you even made Yamada-sensei cry, twice, and this is what you gave them?!" Chifuyu decided to shoot the elephant in the room as soon as the pair of boys entered Ichika being the target of the first salvo with Yukito's share quick to follow.

"And then there's you, you practically broke a Representative Contender with nothing but words! They are trained to resist any type of psychological and physical torture instead of revealing the technological advances of there is to the enemy in case of war, and you broke one by talking! You're both such…TREMENDOUS…IDIOTS!" A pair of blows struck them as the teacher sighed deeply.

It was very obvious to Ichika that her sister was angry, no obvious to everyone she was fuming so he along with everyone else in the room decided to keep silent. _Well I definitely deserve this, I did boast cannonade style only to be caught in a mutual defeat by Yukito._ Ichika admitted to himself. _Though why did he turn evil as soon as he wore the suit? I'll better talk to him._

"Anyway, the reason you lost, Orimura, was because of the attack he used while the reason you lost, Sumeragi, was because you decided to play with your food before eating it. Bottom-line, you both need to work harder now that you have no excuse not to train. Understood?" His elder sister asked sternly, snapping him from his stupor.

"Yes, ma'am!" They both said while Maya approached them, armed with two encyclopedias.

"Your suits are in standby mode for now, but you could call it at any time and it will deploy immediately. There are some rules to follow though so please study this book closely, okay Orimura-san?" As Ichika received the book, she turned to Yukito with an identical one.

"Sumeragi-san, your sister filled us in on your suit during the battle and since it is still classified as an IS, you'll be needing this too. Please observe all of the rules so you don't get into trouble. It's bad enough you acquired an IS through unknown means, if you break one of these rules, you'll probably be classified as an international criminal." He had no choice but to nod meekly before taking the book off her hands, quickly flipping the pages to gauge its thickness.

"_Well at least I have something to do now that Onee-sama finished my IS. Okay rules and regulations, show me what you got." _Yukito said out loud.

"That's all, all of you head back to your rooms and get some rest." Chifuyu said before leaving with Maya in tow. But before she left, she turned and face Yukito with a sincere smile, shocking everyone in the room.

"Sumeragi-san, tell you sister she owes me a hundred yen. We had a bet if you would think out loud after the fight. Try to keep your mouth shut for once, Snow rabbit." Yukito was pretty much as red as a tomato after that one, Ichika personally having to use all his will power to stop himself from laughing.

"Shut up, Ichika, it's not that funny." He said more like a whimper than a complaint while Ichika laughed at the cowed boy.

"Okay, okay, sorry about that." Ichika said as more of a formality while trying to keep as much of his laughter in. Oh, who was he kidding, it had been too long since his sister ever picked on a little kid, he would cherish this moment forever.

It took a few more minutes filled with his laughter and the other's whimpering before he got back on track. "Okay, back the main issue here; how did you pilot the thing so well and why did you say those things to her?"

All seriousness returned to the other boy's countenance while his voice regained its deadly cold and uncaring tone, the voice he used during the entire battle. "To answer the first question completely, I think you should know more about my sister. But that's a story for another time. Let's just say it was a bit more difficult than it looked and you really would have floored me during the first five minutes if Cecilia wasn't there." He said with a small but hollow chuckle that sounded haunting to their ears.

"As for the second question, I'll return fire for now. Why do you care, are you her knight in shining armor now?"

The question did nothing to change his serious expression, though it did make him flinch ever so slightly he doubted either of the two in front of him noticed. W_hy do I care? It was her fault this battle took place in the first place, so why am I defending her?_ He shook his head and locked eyes with the pilot of the black giant.

"No, I'm not, but even if she is the reason this entire fiasco started, I don't find pleasure in seeing girls being pushed around. I want to prove to the world that chivalry isn't dead, that the IS should protect. The white knight reminded us that, so I say we don't spit on such an important memory." He said with conviction, imagining what would have happened if his counterpart insulted his sister.

"I'll apologize to her after the expected outcome is achieved." He raised his hand to stop Ichika from talking before continuing himself. "Before you ask what that is, just let me explain myself. I decided to grind her pride on the asphalt or in that case the sands since I knew, no matter what would happen, you would help a girl in trouble as long as you see she's not in the wrong. As long as she's not the oppressor, you would rush to her aid, it's a simple observation. Using that, I managed to turn you against me, while taking you both on, assuming the role of the villain."

An evil smile twisted Yukito lips as he continued, making both himself and Houki take a step back. "Most of the fight, it was just you and me clashing, so I made sure to glorify you as much as possible so whenever she entered the fray, I would make sure to show her just how hard it is to pressure me..."

"So you would take it easy on Ichika but use the best of your ability while battling with Alcott-san. It would make Ichika look better that he really is, even if you take more shots from her, it would look like you were prioritizing him more." Houki cut in using the analytical skills she barely voices.

"Though what good would it do if an experienced pilot sees a novice protecting her from an enemy even she can't defeat?" He shot her a small smile before she finally realized what had happened.

"Oh, it's a girl seeing a man protecting her, isn't it? He's supposed to be a hero who saved her from defeat and sacrificed himself to do it, that was what that last shot was for. If she happens to be an honorable warrior, then couldn't live with herself, so she would give up the prize and give it to the one she deems more worthy. This was all just a ploy to get Ichika to be the Class Representative?!" She screamed angrily as Yukito just smiled at her reaction.

"Full marks Houki-chan!" he exclaimed happily as he gave her a round of applause, as if congratulating a student for a job well done. "Yes, I just wanted to get out of this myself, but I needed a way so I wouldn't look to bad. So I thought 'why not make Ichika lose too but make sure he ends up with the position?' it was brilliant, if I say so myself." He said as he started to walk away with the same jolly expression his sister had before she left.

"Ichika, don't do anything stupid while I'm away, like asking her some stupid question. Houki, take care of my boy for me would you?!" He said as he raised his hand and took his leave.

This is a Page Break

_Today's match..._ Cecilia pondered while droplets of water cascaded down her body, lost in thought._ What happened to me? How did he catch me in a bind, I should have been the best one out there, but I was tossed aside like a play thing._

She scolded herself while recalling what had happened just a few hours ago. She was basically rendered useless when the pistols out fired her sniper rifle. No it wasn't just that, they possessed a greater rate of fire, but due to their size, it was about three fourths the power of her own weapon, just enough to destabilize both beams. Her problem was she was forced to deflect them instead of the other way around, though it was a task she could do easily at first, it got tricky as soon as he added a second pistol.

_I went in there to win, I did my very best against him, though it was probably too late when I went all out._ She admitted to herself as a soft sigh escaped her lips. _If only I took him out early in the game, then this would have been much easier to win. But still, if another shot was fired, I would have lost._

She was reminded of an image she would never forget as long as she lived. Though the course of the match, her shields have been declining at a steady rate, thanks to the giant pistols and the pointblank explosion of her own missiles, but the last shot was the most shocking.

Each shot should have done 20 damage each and after the bulk of the 40 minute match and the explosion, she was down to about 19 shield points left. What shocked her the most was what happened after that shot landed.

_It's like he's reminding me that I won because he let me, really to win with a single shield point remaining, it's inconceivable!_ She continued to berate herself before her mind took a different turn. She started to think about the other combatant, the won who stood by her despite her slight against him.

"Cecilia-chan!" A voice shook her out of trance as she took her towel and quickly improved her state of dress. "Sorry to do this but I need a bit of help, my roommate suddenly fainted , I don't know why!" The voice belonged to Takatsuki Shizune, one of her closest classmates, and one of the only people she felt safe with, other than her childhood friend of course.

Dressed in only her night gown, it was the only piece of clothing she could don fast enough, she quickly made her way to the door and turned the knob. She could not predict what was waiting for her on the other side of the door. As soon as the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of familiar the cerulean hair and even darker navy blue eyes that belonged her friend but what she didn't expect was a figure obscured by long white hair, slumped up against the wall.

No one in the academy could have mistaken the figure for anyone else, especially since his IS took the form of a finger less glove on his left hand. Without a doubt, her friend brought her an unconscious Sumeragi Yukito, the pilot of the black armor she fought and almost lost to just a few hours ago.

Several things raced through her mind as she saw him, explosive outrage, burning contempt, begrudging respect, and obvious confusion as to why there were there in the first place. It was obvious what she would have to inquire about first, and she quickly put her thoughts into words. "Uh, Takatsuki-chan, when did Sumeragi-san become your roommate?"

"Yeah, about that, I did tell you that my roommate wasn't in class the day you asked, and true enough Yukito was absent. I thought you figured it out on your own, sorry about that, and I told you to call me Shizune." She said while scratching her head and with a nervous laugh, before returning to her usually serious but reliable self.

"Back to the more pressing matter, the boy fainted as soon as he entered the room. I though he just tripped and honestly laughed a bit, but after a full minute of staying down, thought it would be best to take him to someone who knows a little more these things. it seemed IS related since all his vitals are stable as far as I can see, and since he just came out of a battle, so I decided to take him to you."

"Fine." She snorted as she looked at his fallen form. Even if he was knocked out cold, she still felt a twang of resentment towards him, especially after his little speech against her. "Bring him in the room and lay him on the bed, well figure out what to do with him after or if her wakes up."

It took a while, but they finally got him into the room without much fuss, though it was something neither girls wanted a repeat of. they carried him like one would carry a plank of wood, though they couldn't avoid bumping into a few things along the way, including but not limited to, the door, the door frame, the wall after Cecilia _accidentally _slipped, the list goes on and on. Though they were met with another surprise as soon as he hit the bed.

"Please stop using my head as a battering ram," A soft voice made both girls jump as they sat of the bed to rest, Shizune umping to her feet and taking a solid stance while Cecilia aimed all four of her drones at the source of the voice.

"Oh my, I'm not in my room anymore am I?" Yukito asked no one in particular, his eyes still glued shut for unknown reasons."Shizune-chan, I thought I left you a note saying to leave me alone if I faint for no reason, did you read it? Never mind, though this wouldn't be the ideal place to stay for the next few hours."

"Wait, what exactly is happening here?" Cecilia screamed as all the barrels of the drones began to glow an ominous shade of blue.

"Oh, Alcott-san, we must be in your room then." He said with a small sigh. "I believe I owe you an apology for what transpired in the arena, I don't know what came over me but that does not excuse my behavior or my insulting of the memories of your parents. I'm sorry if I reopened any wounds there...passing must have left you with. If you wish to pull the trigger, I have no reason to stop you." He ended as the room held deathly silence.

Shizune looked at her, as if to ask her if she really intended to kill him, while Cecilia herself was lost in thought. _He's ready to die? So will I do it?_ She was caught in a state of inner turmoil that far eclipsed her previous breakdown. On one hand, he insulted her very being, her family, her heritage, her existence without remorse while he fought Ichika, thoroughly breaking her.

But on the other hand, he fought Ichika and Ichika alone before she began to fight too, he didn't strike an unarmed enemy while protecting the almost laughably pathetic Ichika during the early part of the match. "No, you didn't strike me down when I was helpless, I won't do the same to you. But you insulted not just _me_ but my family, and their memory during the match, a sin not easily forgiven or forgotten."

"I understand how you feel and I apologize again, though while I'm stuck here, I think it is best I explain why I'm in this state in the first place. As you may have figured out, my suit isn't exactly an IS. though I'm not at liberty to explain it's true nature, it's obvious that it reacts at exactly the speed the pilot would react to, as if it was their own body while an IS would require a few minutes of formatting and optimization to achieve such performance. My suit has a similar feature, though the changes are only applied after the battle, requiring a pilot to experience much mental stress while the progresses battle and only improve itself in time for the next one." He said as he took as his breathing deepened while tremors rocked his arms slightly.

"In simpler terms, I fought you both off with the equivalent of one ton weights on my entire body while you both were practically weightless. I'm just suffering from the after effects of moving too quickly, that's why I said an Uchigane could easily beat me." A tired sigh escaped him as Shizune edged closer to him, worried that he would lose consciousness at any time.

It was very surprising to see the man she knew to be the better in such a state, paralyzed and helpless, especially since she didn't expect him to apologize. Throughout their several meetings, he always carried himself with a subtle air of regality, and to see such a figure sent low was a strange experience indeed. Though the more she thought about it, he was justified.

Really, she was conceited in speech, easy to anger at the slightest insult and showed no reason why anyone should have given her any form of respect.

Her title? She knew was defeated by two absolute novices, one even taking handicap without her knowledge.

Her wealth? Everyone here was basically equal in terms of social status as entering the IS Academy would surely bring publicity followed by several offers for jobs, money and the like.

_No, I'm the best here, I was the valedictorian in both exams and thus deserve some bragging rights, and I just have to be a bit more tactful when using them. But he's still right, I needed an attitude adjustment, it was such a shame to be this severe. Maybe he should be... _She was lost in thought before Yukito managed to grate a few more words out.

"Let me stop you right there, Alcott-san." She turned to see his grey eyes with the strength of a storm behind them. Despite his weakness, his gaze was as heavy as ever, only bested by Orimura-sensei in magnitude. His gaze was strong, no one could contest that, but they also held a bit of gentleness that forced a name from the depths of her memories. _Arthur?_

Yukito didn't seem to notice her flinch as he continued. "The other boy deserves the title more than I do. I'm just a fleeting image, an evanescent mirage, but the other boy is a solid pillar. No doubt I'll make a good champion in battle, but he will be a better leader and a fine representative all in all." Another name entered her mind as Yukito smiled gently.

_Orimura_ _Ichika. _She thought of his name.

Unbelievably, she felt a warmth swell in her chest, a strange feeling of contentment in her being. Her heart was pounding, unbridled, as if trying to release something she kept to herself for so long. Unconsciously, she reached up and gently stroked her lips.

The pretty, moist lips that she was so proud of quivered with excitement, desiring to be touched by something like it: a feeling warm and sweet, saddening yet delighting, longing and contentment, desire and rapture.

_What is this feeling? _Her chest was flooded with a sense...wanting. _I want to know. _She wants to know what's behind this feeling, no she needed to know, to understand its true identity.

_I want to know. I want to know – about Ichika_.

**Warning, may contain a few spoilers for those who don't know the light novel**

**AN**

**And that's the fourth(end of the second) chapter done.**

**Before everything else, I apologize for the, what a friend of mine calls, Technology Porn. (If you don't know either, don't ask)**

**Anyway, what did you guys think? I revealed Houki's more intelligent side, what, this isn't Lion King where one sibling is just smart and the other sibling is just strong, and made Cecilia a bit more human by giving her a friend and made her less of an ass**

**Also, after having some of my writer friends (not necessarily on the site) advice, I decided to explain some of Yukito's limiters early. One of them being the paralysis he experienced twice in the story after using his newly dubbed "Godspeed". Think of it as ****Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū except the effect of the body degenerating comes after a few hours instead of years. He then needs a combination of an adrenaline shot, new cells to replace the old ones(Stem cells) and someone to inject him with it, ****so just imagine what happened to him after he used it in the first chapter. To clarify, the first paralysis was because of our beloved Miss "Perfect/Tease" while the absence was because of the fight with Houki.**

**His giant suit, believe it or not, is also a limiter, making moving it much harder and slower and forcing him to risk hours of paralysis whenever trying to use it_ normally,_ since if he slows down, he'll be a sitting duck. Even after the pain from the metal stress subsides, he would still need to use his speed to quicken his strikes.**** Oh and you'll actually see and Uchigane curb stomp so just be patient.**

**Please review, and PM me if you guys have any more questions, **

**See ya**


	5. Chapter 5

_**CHAPTER FIVE: Sharpness for both the Mind and the Body**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

The maintenance department in the academy was more akin to an actual IS manufacturing facility than just a room provided simply for touch ups. It was large room filled with an extensive arsenal of scanners, monitors, computers and even power tools all for the sake modifying any part or function of an IS. Other pieces of strange machinery lined the heavy steel walls of the bunker looking room, while lights glared down one any occupants inside like an ever watchful sentinel.

Looking at the vast array of resources at any student's disposal, one would be forced to think that the place had more than meets the eye. With the eyes of an expert, one would see the resources needed to completely rebuild and IS form the ground up, changing everything but the core itself to make an IS that could be radically different from the one brought in.

In layman's terms, this room had the capability to rebuild destroyed parts, reconfigure the internal codes of the machines, and if one had the technology and the blue prints, completely convert an IS to a totally different one if the need arose. The only thing it couldn't do was build an entire frame from scratch which was already very difficult to begin with.

"So Yuki," Mayumi chirped as she moved around the room with the grace of a Prima Ballerina Assoluta, dancing to the music only she could hear to pass the time while her brother studied several monitors simultaneously, gazing at each with the vigilance of a hunter stalking its prey.

"As you know, to build a suit as large as you specified, we needed more energy to circulate through the structure, much like blood to facilitate movement just as flexible and even quicker than a human or an IS should be capable off without compromising the safety of the pilot." She seemed to enjoy herself while her brother listened intently, absorbing everything she said with knowing nods.

"Unfortunately that particular decision forced me to relocate some of the energy devoted to the shields to other systems, namely the weaponry, deployment, and thruster systems. Your shield energy is around three fourths that of a normal suit though your weapon's and thruster's power output were increased by the same amount, each. That means your shield points are limited to 450 but both the other systems got a 25% upgrade, and that's probably why your pistols managed to counter her sniper fire. The question of the hour, do you think you need more defensive capabilities at this point?" She said, landing on the chair behind him, focusing the brunt of her gaze at him, a gaze that did not command respect, but received it in spades.

"Hmm, that is troubling news, though it explains why I couldn't pull the trigger a second time, I simply had no more energy left. Still the suit is perfect for the purpose that spurred on its creation; we needed a suit that could continue operation even if the shields were down, even if it needs a special clearance code to do so. Once activated it should reroute the energy towards the other systems, giving me indefinite operation time, unparalleled speed, virtually sure-hit weaponry, just as long as I don't take too much of a beating." He finally replied, swiveling his chair so his eyes met hers. A gentle gaze was met with one filled with anxiety as the boy resumed the conversation.

"But enough about trivial facts for now. What ails you, Nee-sama? The only times I've seen you dance around like that is when you're on stage or when you're thinking of something I might as well know about. What is it this time?" As soon as his sentence was thrown out in the open, Yukito thanked all the gods above that Shizune went out with some friends instead of staying in the room with him. She was spared of the horror he had only seen a few times.

Mayumi's face was soon grinning like a Cheshire cat, but it was a visage that would not lose against Chifuyu's fearsome expression. She began playing with her hands with rapidly growing anticipation while she trembled with glee. It wasn't long until a high pitch squeal escaped her lips, though it was quickly covered by Yukito's hand. She immediately pulled her brother into a tight embrace as soon as she was finished and offered her slightly sane explanation.

"I'm just so proud of you, Yuki-kun, you finally made Chifuyu smile, granted she did insult you the only way she knew you would be affected, but you were both still so cute! I'm so glad I got a video of that even after I left, your expression was just as priceless as the other two when they ran into each other and a missile."

She continued shaking him around in a way a young girl does to a plushy, but unfortunately that did absolutely nothing to impede his hearing. "And you even scored a girl for yourself too, very nice. Yeah, I listened in on your conversation with the girl, and the way you smiled at her…" Another high pitched squeal echoed around the room. "Finally My little brother's growing up. Just don't do anything without thinking okay?"

"Okay, that's where I draw the line here." He said, this time being able to escape his elder sister's embrace and landing just in front of her with his index finger up.

"Just to be perfectly clear, that's how I smile at everybody and that had nothing to do with anything else. When can you not flash even just a little grin when everything is falling right into place?" He laughed for a while before briefly showing a picture of a perfectly shocked Ichika to his sister. His face was just a mixture of bewilderment, surprise, confoundment and confusion so severe, it reduced his sister to tears.

"You should have been there to see the boy's face in person when he finally figured out that I was right a few days ago. His expression was priceless when Cecilia handed him the position, the Brit and Houki had a quick fight about who should train the poor boy. It was simply hilarious, right Ichika?" He shouted the question, his voice echoing around the room before a loud metallic thump reverberated in response, a smile forming on the white-haired boy's face.

"How did you know I was here?" Ichika asked as he came from under a table on the other side of the room, rubbing the back of his head with one of his hands, most likely because he jolted upright when it finally hit him that he was discovered. "I thought for sure I had the IS on stealth mode so no one could find me here so how did you find me?"

"Your patterns gave it away." Yukito stated simply while Ichika raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, let me put it this way, it was just your natural reaction to a threat is kind of overused; to get stronger, or smarter, or maybe both. It's nothing new to me, I did the same thing when my sister was kidnapped, you're reason was just a bit downgraded; you were probably sick and tired of being too dependent on your sister, or something along those lines. To truly answer your question though, I figured out who you were mentoring under, or rather, who the one was mentoring you was." That was when Ichika's face turned from skeptical to full blown disbelief, his jaw dropping all the way to the floor if it could.

"I met the doctor myself once, never found anyone better at playing dumb or fiddling with the IS before and since. Apparently you picked up the first skill much quicker than the second, faking not knowing anything at all is never easy to do. You have my sincerest congratulations." Yukito said with a more professional tone before throwing a question of his own. "Now it's my turn to ask some questions. What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to get a bit of privacy after the match, and I found something else in my suit, something I didn't use in the battle. I was just running some tests on the new weapon, or weapons when you came along. I know better than to try and use something this strange in a first time battle." He said summoning a set of swords into existence.

There were twelve swords in total, though they came in six identical pairs, each blade made for a different use all together, though he could see why he refused to use it during the first fight. The set of swords were arranged in such a way that it looked like a large kite shield, one large enough to be used for an IS and evenly match the height of Yukihira as a whole.

It was pale silver but its sharp luster was easily brought out by the glaring lights on the ceiling, showing off its craftsmanship as well as its ability to handle the most vicious of blows. It was mended together in such a way that one had to be inches from it to see it was much more than a shield, something in itself a kendo practitioner was definitely not familiar with. It was a tool with two uses, a shield that could cut and a sword that could form a barrier; so much potential.

"Let's train you in using it then." Yukito said darkly before leading him out of the room.

This is a Page Break

_That was not one of my best moments_. Ichika thought to himself as he tried to nurse his sore body as inconspicuously as possible. He had just started his training with Yukito after his kendo sessions with Houki and it was not going as well as he anticipated. Not only was he tired before and after each time they clashed, Yukito was no longer holding anything back.

He thought it would be easy to take down the black giant a second time, but whenever he tried for the kill, he was met with a blade and a bullet. The worst case scenario reared its ugly head when he finally pushed Yukito to use _both_ his scythes, his shield points were shredded into nonexistence. It didn't help that he felt still the pain.

He also resumed some of his lessons from Tabane as to keep him updated and give him more of a fighting chance when it came to battle. He had manufactured and tinkered about the Blue Tears system a few years back, but then its control was more than what normal humans could take, so Tabane basically scraped it and gave it away.

If some more of her scraped plans, or God forbid, some of his own designs he created as tests from the mad doctor appeared in an enemy IS, he would know just how to deal with them. But obviously between learning some of his suit's more complicated and subtle characteristics from the crazy woman that made it, while her little sister who basically hated her slept in the same room, and fighting a warrior that could force his opponent to double team him and still put up a fight, he didn't have much time to sleep.

"Orimura, Sumeragi, Alcott!" Chifuyu snapped in her white track suit as Ichika threatened to fall into sleeps embrace.

"The Personal IS users will be demonstrating some basic maneuvers for the rest of you. All of you should pay attention, and that means double for you Orimura. If I catch you falling asleep in my class, you'll be running laps around the entire school with your IS strapped to your back and the PIC disabled." She mandated heartlessly, leveling her deadly glare at him, forcing him to stand straight despite his fatigue. "Well what are you waiting for, an invitation? Deploy your IS, all three of you!"

All three of them took a step forward before deploying their suits in an instant. Ichika was caught blindsided when a flash of brilliant light and a fog of unrelenting darkness clashed with him in the middle. In an instant the forms of the Blue Tears and the Hakko no Hahen was were beside him, and both with pilots looking down on him with bemused expressions on their faces. Well Cecilia's face at least, the plain metal plate still served to hide Yukito's face from view, giving him a darker, more mysterious air.

Not wanting to be left behind, he concentrated on the armguard on his right arm while the same bright light began to envelope his entire body. His senses seemed to expand and sharpen as his body began to float in midair.

Multiple pieces of whit armor instantly materialized over his arms legs and chest while a strange circlet found its way on the crown of his head. Data begins pouring into his consciousness while the light fades, revealing the white amour in all its glory, taking its place among the other two, conveniently arranged by descending height.

"Finally, now fly!" She commanded while the blue suit rocketed skyward at a tremendous speed. The white suit soon followed, though its speed or lack thereof earned another lecturing. "What do you think you're doing, Orimura? In terms of specs, you should only be outclassed by…"

Ichika couldn't heard what she was supposed to say next when a large black blur sped past both the white and the blue suit in an instant. The black giant stopped on a dime about a quarter of a mile from the ground and crossed its monstrous arms as it looked down on the two in a gesture more akin to a taunt than anything else.

"Oh it's on!" He cried in defiance as he accelerated to a speed just a surpassing Cecilia's before the lack of peaceful sleep and aching body finally got the better of him. His concentration faltered by just a small margin, but that was enough to decelerate the machine to a more manageable speed. He mentally cursed his over training while he watched Yukito soar through the sky like a bird of prey, just a black line flowing behind him like a dark comet that cut through the sky.

Ichika found that out the hard way that, despite its monstrous size, the Hakko no Hahen was capable of extreme speed far surpassing the Byakushiki. It was very much like his own weapon, though instead of attacking power, it permanently sacrificed a set of shield points for radical speed. Its PIC was basically the same but on a lethal dose steroids, capable of handling maneuvers and speeds outpacing human eye and leaving objects traveling at atmospheric reentry in the dust, he never got to those speeds though.

In several of their sessions, he often found himself lost in a maelstrom of sable mist and obsidian fog, a tempest of bladed strikes from death's scythe and a demon's claw and a hailstorm of yellow beams from a pair of sidearms. Though with time he got better at countering them, he had to admit that raw speed was something Yukito simply could not be bested in.

"Ichika-san, you should just find an image that would work best for you. An image is just an image until it can be applied, then used as a method." Cecilia explained when Ichika finally reached her. From the perspective of bellow, it was as if Cecilia slowed down a little as Ichika began to approach, but it couldn't be confirmed as it was too hard to see things from such a large distance. Back to the middle of the sky, Ichika managed to keep in most of his annoyance as he answered the British girl as politely as possible.

"Yes, I know how it works, it's just that I haven't been sleeping as peacefully as I want to. I'm just tired, that's all so there's no need for another full lesson up here." He said with a tired sigh as he continued to cruise with her at a more suitable speed. A small smile was seen on his face as he began to drink in the view from such a height, fully taking in the scenery known as the IS Academy while flying at a peaceful pace.

"Oh my goodness, Ichika-san, you should learn to take better care of yourself." Cecilia berated him gently as she took a place beside him, though a bit closer than the last time. He was none the wiser as she continued to speak, he did notice her tone was a little less hostile though.

"Is that demon keeping you up at night with her horrendous training regime of hers? If you want I could teach you after classes instead. I could help you get over your inability to fight ranged opponents but of course it would be much easier to teach you if we were alone together…" She began to trail of into a whisper as another voice managed to get into his ears.

"ICHIKA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FLYING AROUND UP THERE? GET DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Well, more of force its claws into his ears and ripped his ear drums as slowly and violently as humanly possible, shaking him with the sheer volume of Houki's voice. Ichika spared a glance at her so see an enraged Houki, grabbing onto the headset of a poor Maya, who could do nothing but let her student do as she pleased.

He chuckled at the sight while Cecilia began explaining how the IS could see clearly at such a distance. He already knew the history and original function of the IS, so he simply ignored the girl while trying to suppress his laughter at seeing a student bullying a teacher.

"Orimura, Alcott, and Sumeragi" His sister cried from the communicator, immediately cutting short Houki's vocal rampage. "All three of you take a dive and keep accelerating before coming to a complete halt in front of the class. Target height from the ground would be 10 centimeters." As soon as she commanded to descend all three of the stopped in midair and exchanged glances, each of them trying to decide who would go off first so no accident would happen. As the boys exchanged gestures, Cecilia spoke for all of them.

"Roger, I'll be going first then." She barely finished the sentence when she began her decent, taking a dive and fully utilizing the extreme speed of the Blue Tears to quicken her decent as much as possible before pulling up gracefully, perfectly executing the maneuver required of her. Ichika made a mental note not to challenge her to any more serious battles since she would definitely cream him the next time they clashed. She hovered exactly ten centimeters above the ground as the two boys kept at their high perches.

"I guess that means I'll be next then. Mind letting me go first, Ichika?" Yukito asked in a more light hearted voice before deciding so they would look each other eye to eye, or at least where his eyes should be if he took of the mask. As soon as Ichika nodded, a black line suddenly burst to life marking where he had been as Yukito accelerated downwards at tremendous speed. It took a couple of seconds before a cloud of smoke appeared from where he landed, shrouding his monstrous form with a cloak of dust.

Just as fast as it came into being, a large blast from all his thrusters blew the cloud apart and in a manner similar to suddenly tearing open curtains, the black giant's form was let into the light. The gust of wind was enough to buffet most of the class while Chifuyu kept her eyes on her brother, shooting him a condescending look as he watched the three second display.

Ichika was the last to descend, debating with himself if he should follow his sister's instructions to the letter, taking the risk of permanent humiliation, the added pain of crash landing and her anger, or should he just level out higher than the required height, earning him just her rage. He knew his fatigue would make landing difficult and make a crash an all too real threat, though he knew the rage his elder sister would direct towards him if he disobeyed a direct order was enough to make those first three consequences seem like nothing at all.

It was a no brainer. He descended, instantly accelerating to the suit's limit while aiming his body downwards. With a great effort, he pulled up exactly at the required height, safely landing in between Cecilia and Yukito before thanking the gods above that the scenarios still in his mind were only applicable if he did miss the landing.

"I'm glad to see everything I thought you yesterday didn't go to waste." Houki stated with a miniscule hint of pride as she strode to Ichika, who merely smiled in response. How could he have forgotten another factor limiting his leisure time; Houki's IS training.

If Yukito helped him in terms of combat with an IS, Tabane supplied the knowledge of the inner workings of the IS, Houki was the one who trained him in the basic operations. Her method of teaching him was strange to say the least, using sound effects to describe how an object should move or what the maneuver should _look_ like.

He would have been very confused with her lessons, that is, if what gibberish she was spouting wasn't so genuinely accurate. Thanks to her, he got most of the basics down through illustrations and instructions made with sound alone; and he also figured out that teaching skills were apparently hereditary.

"Good job, Ichika-san. I trust you weren't hurt after performing such a maneuver. You looked strangely distressed as you landed and kicked up quite a cloud of smoke." Cecilia also spoke in a worried tone, dematerializing her own suit before approaching him as well. Her movements were quick and hurried, causing many an eyebrow to be raised.

He threw her a glance and saw she looked slightly distraught by if her slightly biting her own lip was of any indication, prompting the boy to question the reason for such a radical change in attitude. Once upon a time, she wouldn't even give him the time of day, always shooting him a hostile glare but now she was worried for his safety? Well he did hear that the women are fickle with their emotions and they could change in a snap so he thought nothing of it at the moment.

"Cecilia-san is right on that point, you looked like you were about to enter the mouth of hell when you finally pulled up. Your face looked like, for lack of a more accurate and or proper description, you had diarrhea and you were stuck in a broken elevator. What happened up there?" Yukito asked emerging out of another tempest of black mist, with worry and humor mixed into his expression.

He looked in between a person who would genuinely worry for him if he was injured and a friend who would do nothing to help but catch the whole incident on film, or memory card whatever the case may be, and laugh through the entire ride. "Do you want to see the picture, I could project it for the whole class if you let me?" He teased while even more eyebrows were raised with curiosity and anticipation. He knew he had to act fast.

"NO, NO, NO." He yelled out hastily and a bit too loudly than he should have, in exchange for a humored smirk and a soft sinker form the white-haired youth. "That won't be necessary Yukito. Just keep that little picture to yourself."

He then turned the Cecilia and tried to appease her a bit; she was worried about him to begin with. "I'm perfectly fine. No reason for you to get all worked up so just relax, okay? Though, thanks for asking." He offered peacefully as he mirrored their action and landed softly on the ground.

"Oh, that's good to hear then. That's a relief." She said before laughing with Yukito. It wasn't condescending or ridiculing as it had been in the past, it was genuinely happy, just like the one still giggling beside her. Obviously, he thought it was because of his reaction to the other boy so he dismissed in without another thought. He just smiled at the two making a mental note on how peaceful it was if they would all just get along. Unfortunately, one could never stay in the moment forever, and just like clockwork that instant passed.

"Why would he be hurt after such a fall if he had an IS on. Obviously the shields would protect him from such a trivial threat." Houki interjected, interrupting the mirth of the two while staring down Cecilia with a glare that promised death in its most painful and memorable form. But instead of backing down, Cecilia held her ground and immediately countered with a glare of her own.

"But, Shinonono-san, is it that strange for me to care about others? Even if he was protected it is only natural to ask after seeing him make that kind of expression." She as-a-matter-of-factly quickly disarming Houki's argument as she instinctively put a hand on her hip.

"I have to admit, seeing his face like that was more troubling than funny," Ichika would have immediately cried out in protest if he didn't know better. Compounded by the fact his childhood friend looked extremely angry did nothing to spur him on any further than shooting a look of disbelief. "But that's not the point! You're not the bleeding heart you portray yourself to be, you're just another wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"I say, that's was uncalled for and entirely false, you scowling ogre!" Cecilia fired a rebuttal with all the spite she could muster while the stare down continued. If one were to look carefully, sparks were flying between them. The two boys thought it was because of the IS sensors before exchanging confused looks, only to realize they just put away their suits. Simultaneously, they both rubbed their eyes before looking again, only to see it was still present.

_Yup, we're going crazy here._ They both thought, unknowingly in concert.

The scene also triggered some memories of the past few days to float from the depths of Ichika's subconscious. He noticed that as Cecilia got a bit less hostile towards them, she would always pick a fight with Houki for what looked like trivial reasons. It surprised him she didn't argue against her just because of the fact she existed. It was like they started hating each other after the day of the match, but what could have happened when he was away.

_Surely Cecilia wasn't sore Houki was teaching him, no it could be such a trivial reason._ The bewildered boy thought as he looked on._ Most likely, she was still angry at Yukito for his over-the-top insult but is frustrated she can't beat him. Yeah, that's it._

Before it could escalate any further, the Demon Trainer rendered her judgment on the poor souls. "You two are eyesores, argue somewhere else." She mandated before striking the two girls on the head with the feared notebook of terror, before facing Ichika with a look that promised the same form of punishment if he didn't comply. "Orimura, rematerialize your suit and summon your armaments only, and _all _your armaments."

He gulped before dismissing his suit in preparation for the second step. _I need the sword and the shield. One to cut down my opponents and the other to defend my friends. Come out!_

He concentrated before mentally chanting as both weapons materialized in his hands form a formless mass of light. In an instant, the sword that once belonged to his sister appeared in his hand, while the bulky shield he had been training to use flashed from the other. Relief filled him as gravity made their presence known to him, and the small smile that crept across his sister's face reinforced the fact that he did decent.

"Your materialization rate was acceptable for a beginner, but…" There it was. Whenever she would praise anybody, there should always, _always, _have a downside to the action done no matter how miniscule. He had expected as much from his own sister when the word "but" came out of her mouth.

"…You should continue working on the speed. In a fight, you might have to choose between the sword and the shield, making the speed the deciding factor." She then faced the other pilots, namely Cecilia first before asking she do the same. "Alcott, bring out your armaments!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Comparatively, she was obviously the faster of the two, instantly reaching out to the side before a burst of light covered her arm. The light faded, revealing the large sniper rifle she wielded during their last battle, Starlight Mk III, together with a single bit hovering above it. A sharp click resounded, signaling the safety locks being removed as the weapon was being held aloft by the blonde girl.

Chifuyu nodded with satisfaction before rendering her judgment. "Your speed is as expected from a Representative Candidate, though your stance is somewhat strange and unsuited for combat. Just who do you think you're aiming at with your barrel to the side? From now on, I expect you to be pointing forwards when deploying your weapon." She ended coldly as she took a step to attend to the third Personal IS user. That's when something unimaginable happened, for Ichika at least.

"But I need to keep the pose to maintain my image and…" Cecilia actually worked up the nerve to argue back, to the demon no less. She even sounded like a child when doing so, putting up a weak defense and challenging her to break it. Such bravery was admirable but not without consequences, and in this case the consequences were dire.

"DAMN YOUR IMAGE TO HELL, YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR SHOOTING POSITION!" Chifuyu concluded mercilessly before turning her gaze towards the last of the three, her anger less that dissipated. "Sumeragi, think fast!" She struck Cecilia with a glancing blow, causing the already shaken girl to yelp in surprise at the same time pull the trigger on the one she was aiming at when she pointed to the side.

The blue bolt crossed the distance immediately, though it met black mist before the sound of striking metal rung out. The blow was enough to force the mist away, revealing a scythe held in an upside-down fashion, with the giant blade blocking the projectile entirely. What was the most amazing part of the display was that he held it seemingly without the assistance of the suit's PIC, before dropping it with a loud thud. The boy who held the shaft of the weapon just smiled at her while she nodded, about to pass her judgment.

"Speed and reflexes are satisfactory, though you would have been better off dodging such an attack." She said with a sly smile, raising her hand to stop him from speaking before he did while continuing her explanation. "I told you to think fast, nothing about taking out your weapons. Your lack of proper judgment is very apparent here; improve it."

"Yes, ma'am." He said with a defeated smirk before his scythe vanished with a flash of light. The three then turned to return to the queue when the bell rung.

"All right, times up. Return to the change rooms before heading to class." Chifuyu said after clapping twice to get everyone's attention before, walking away to prepare herself.

This is a Page Break

"Orimura-kun, congratulations on becoming the class representative!"

The sound of poppers filled the well-lit room as confetti descended from the ceiling. Tables were filled with people and an air of celebration and mirth seemed from its confines. A crowd comprising the entire class 1-1 filled the cafeteria hall as they all gathered to have a good time.

All in the room were in high spirits, laughter and congratulations echoing around as the celebration commenced, everyone, save Ichika. This was the scene of his Inauguration Party, something not as welcome as one would guess.

To the boy who was supposed to be the life of the party, this was one of the perks of high school he could do without. He never wanted the position in the first place and was finally free of the burden the moment he lost.

Unfortunately, Yukito decided to throw a monkey wrench in that plan, convincing the stuck up princess Cecilia to get off her high horse and give him the position. Imagine his surprise when she announced that she stepped down and he would have to take up the mantle of leadership.

_Yukito would pay for this. _Ichika thought as he threw a glance at the boy in question, talking to a few of the partygoers like it was the most natural thing in the world. The radiant grin on his face only lowered his spirits, as if the grin was saying, "Checkmate." It was because of his meddling that he was stuck with the position, so it was either revenge or make the most of his current situation. Why not both eh?

"It would be more interesting to see a boy fighting in the Representative Tournament, right?!" A voice asked no one in particular as the party began.

"That's right, that's right!" One exclaimed with an absolutely chipper tone.

"We're really lucky to be in the same class as him." Another said with an appreciative tone, while others hummed with approval

"Definitely, can't wait to see who this would end! Bring on the fights" Another added in with the vigor of any fan girl.

Ichika immediately raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the room. Call him crazy, but there was definitely more than thirty people I the room, much more than an entire class should be, making him wonder where they came from. Unfortunately his surveying of the room did not go unnoticed, prompting an irritated Houki to comment.

"You sure are popular Ichika. If you weren't then all of these people wouldn't have come." She began, her voice dripping with the volatile combination of sarcasm and venom.

"You think so?" he deadpanned in response, too tired to deal with her mood swings at the moment, inevitably making her mood more awry. She grumbled angrily before taking a sip from her drink, her cold inhuman glare piercing through Ichika as he wondered what he could have done wrong this time. Luckily, he was saved from the situation by another.

"Hey, over here, over here!" Ichika heard a voice cry out to him, making him turn lazily to the speaker as he took a sip of his own. "I'm from the News Paper Club. I'm here for the scoop on the hotly discussed freshman, 'The Orimura Ichika-kun's special post-battle interview!'"

The girl in question was a sophomore if the yellow ribbon was anything to go by and quite energetic as opposed to his passive participation. Light brown hair, more cordovan than chestnut, was hastily arranged in a bun behind her head while a pair of glasses sat in front of her glimmering blue eyes. Two long tresses framed her face while some strands hung above left eye, her hair parting just to the right above her forehead. "Sorry about that, where are my manners? I'm Mayuzumi Kaoruko, nice to meet you. I'm the vice-president of the News Paper Club. Here! This is my card."

He barely had time to reach out and take the card before her previously empty hand leapt out with a recorder and snapped its way just a bit too close to his mouth. He almost yelped in surprise before the hyperactive girl began asking questions.

"Then, Orimura-kun! What do you think about being the new class representative after Cecilia stepped down? Here, just talk into the recorder!" She then began to wait with a unique look in her eyes, like a child giddily trying out a new toy. It was staring down his mentor all over again.

"Um…" He said offhandedly as he began to think. _What should I say? I was beaten with Yukito, even if he did do all the work, so what would be appropriate? _He thought in vain while starring down the very image of his mischievous mentor.

"I guess I'll do my best then. I'll try not to break anyone's expectations." He said with a dull tone while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. He knew what he said was one of the most generic things to say, but it was the only thing in his head at the time.

She seemed dissatisfied with his comment, quickly protesting in response. "Come on, Orimura-kun! Give us something with a little more oomph. Something like, I don't know, 'I'm my sister's brother for a reason, one you wouldn't live through if you wanted to find out' or something like that." She complained while narrowing her eyes.

"My sister wouldn't like it if I went around saying things like that…" Just before he could finish, something that sounded strangely similar to a whip cracking echoed around the room. "And besides, no one likes it when she gets angry." He said with a shudder while the room nodded in unison.

"Okay then, what about having the other two saying a few things about the match? We'll cover Cecilia first then." She said before turning to the blonde beauty.

"Well if you insist, then there's no going around it." She said with a tone that didn't suit someone grumbling in protest. If her more flamboyant appearance, he still couldn't comprehend how she could look any flashier without deviating from the uniform, was anything to go by, she was prepared for such an occasion.

"First, I, Cecilia Alcott, as previous class representative, will issue my statement. To be quite frank with you, the battle was…" She was quickly interrupted by the interviewer, who replaced the recorder with an empty hand in a flash

"If it's going to be that long, let's just move on to the third party for now" She said with a hurried voice. "I'll just make up some content as we go, much, much easier. Why not assume that Alcott-chan is attracted to Orimura-kun. That would make quite the page turner." She said loud enough for all to hear, unconsciously thinking out loud.

But before Cecilia or Ichika could react to what she said, a question directed to the third party was quickly thrown. "So, Sumeragi-kun, how did you manage to completely dominate during the first three fourths of the fight, considering one was a Representative Candidate, and both your opponents were working against you?"

Yukito managed a wry smile before looking at his drink, swirling it in his glass with a forlorn look. "She must have put you up to this, huh?" He concluded before a deep sigh escaped his lips.

"I'll give you the truth from my perspective then." The wry smile on his lips sent chills down Ichika's spine as he continued with a sincere voice. "It's much easier to fight a couple when their distracted with each other, very fun as well. As for the second question, apparently, 'The Power of Love' does conquer all." The suggestive glances he threw at the pair sealed the deal; a fresh new rumor was born.

"I deny everything!" Ichika vehemently shouted as the Cecilia sat silently, blushing up a storm. Yukito was on the verge of tears trying to conceal his laughter while Houki threw sharp glares at the trio form her position. The others in the room had started to whisper about Ichika and Cecilia's would-be relationship when the older girl put things to rest.

"Never mind then, Sumeragi-san." The changing of the way she referred to him did not go unnoticed for both Yukito and Ichika as she continued, all attention now on her. "It's much more fun to make up content yourself you see, so I'll just have a picture with all three of you so we can get this whole thing over with and you can go back to your party." She said cheerfully before pulling out a camera from nowhere and motioning the three to take their positions.

"What?" Cecilia asked with a delighted undertone covered by surprise as the older girl explained. The small grin on her face did not go unnoticed; the boys just got more restless.

"You three are the Personal Pilots so we should get a picture of all three of you. Go on now, scrunch up together, and don't be shy!" She said mischievously as the three scooched closer together, with the two boys flanking Cecilia. Impatiently, Mayuzumi took Cecilia's hand and placed it on Ichika's before subtly winking Yukito's direction. The others, Houki included, just stared as the sophomore took her position and prepared to hit the button. "Okay, ready? What's 35 times 51 divided by 24? Ichika-kun?"

"Uh… So that's three divided by another… 74?" Ichika offered, definitely surprised that was what she asked instead of the usual 'say cheese'.

"Close enough." The shutter fired.

On closer inspection, Mayuzumi was chuckling slightly at the picture she took. It happened to contain everyone in the room save herself, and a certain white haired boy. The entire class seemed to appear beside them just before the shutter was fired and the picture taken, though the other boy in the entire school managed to slip away without harming anyone in the process.

A sly smile formed on her lips as she began to walk out of the room, leaving the class to its own devices and ignoring the argument that happened to erupt. A small smile formed on her lips as she looked up at the celling wistfully, deep in thought and pondering about what in the world she did that night.

"Confronting the strongest of the group is never tactically sound, but you've never been a stickler of the rules. Right, Ta-chan?" She whispered to no one in particular before she made her exit. "This would be groundbreaking in a few weeks, can't wait to catch it all on film."

This is a Page Break

"That was a fun, right? Our classmates sure know how to throw one, ne, Ichika?" Houki asked with a fake smile plastered on her face as she faced Ichika, who now sat wearily on the bed in nothing but a shirt and shorts. Anger in its most terrible form was radiating from the girl in uniform, though in his tiredness, Ichika couldn't have cared less.

"You called that storm of chaos FUN?!" Ichika yelled with as much energy he could muster, which was honestly pathetic for the guy even if he was tired. "That was one of the most random gatherings I've ever been in! It was exhausting and very, very chaotic. Sorry that kind of thing was never my cup of tea. Would you have enjoyed it?"

"Maybe I would have you insensitive idiot!" She screamed, prepared to give him a verbal lashing depending on what he would dare say next.

Ichika knew were this was going, being her childhood friend for years before the time helped a lot. He knew she would snap if he argued any further and was in no condition to weather another one of her sermons. "You know what? I'm too tired for this, Houki, so I'm just going to sleep before I say something I'm going to regret."

He said before turning over to finally go to sleep. "I'm sorry if I did anything to offend you Houki, but I'm just too tired tonight. Let's talk again tomorrow, okay?" His voice was muffled by his pillow.

Sleep was finally in his grasp, only to be taken away by something that chilled him to the bone. Sound of fabric rubbing against skin rang very clearly in his ears as his body began shifting, eliciting a fair warning from the girl in a form of a slight yelp.

"Ichika, I swear if you turn around right now I'll skin you alive myself, your sister be damned." Houki said in a cold but shaky voice as the sounds continued to snake his way into his weary ears. He was still a boy after all, so it was no surprise this began to bother him as he struggled to keep his eyes glued to the wall, seeing as they wouldn't close.

It took several moments of awkwardness before silence finally enveloped the room, and he could finally turn around to see Houki dressed in her nightly kimono, though her deeper scowl caught his attention more. "Ichika, where have you been going the past few nights? You're never here when I go to bed and sometimes even gone before morning."

Ichika rubbed his eyes lazily before replying with a soft yawn. "That's what had you worried all this time? Just relax then, I've just been doing a little more training with Yukito to sharpen my piloting skills in time for the competition. It would be bad if I let the entire class down, you know?" Hearing offhanded tone dramatically changed her expression, though Ichika was just a bit too tired to notice.

"You-your-you're get-getting less-lessons from some-someone el-else?" She sniffled as her eyes began to glisten, the diamond veils in her eyes threatening to fall like raindrops.

Seeing the shaken, and much betrayed Houki in such a state, he immediately stood to amend his statement, quickly calming her down by grasping her shoulders. "No, no, it isn't like that. Remember the other armament I summoned a while ago right, the shield?" She nodded slowly as he continued, his voice as comforting and caring as he could possibly make it.

"He's just been training me to use that if I needed to. Kendo doesn't use a shield so coming to you with it would just leave both of us confused and me battered. I asked you and only you to help me with the other things, so don't worry. You're still the only one for me, Houki." He said with a smile, prompting her to mirror the expression.

"Idiot, just tell me where you're going next time. I was almost bedridden worrying about you." She said as she rubbed her eyes, the smile never leaving her mouth.

"Yes, mom. I'll make sure to leave a note or tell you beforehand when I'm planning to go somewhere for a prolonged period of time." Ichika rolled his eyes, earning him a light punch to the shoulder. He flashed a smile at his revitalized friend, her expression mirroring his for a moment before a soft voice echoed from her lips.

"You better." Houki grumbled, all evidence of crying all but vanishing from her countenance. "Let's go to sleep then, you must have had it rougher than I thought."

"That's what… Never mind." _Why was I about to get myself killed after stopping her from crying? _Ichika pondered as the light went out and light snoring could be heard. _Just never do something that stupid again or I'm pretty sure I'll get kicked in the stomach or slapped one of these days, very hard. _He thought before drifting off to sleep as well.

This is a Page Break

_Why do I have a sudden urge to hit someone for being stupid?_ Yukito thought as his fist began trembling for no reason at all. With a shrug, he just exited the shower and pulled his towel from the door.

"Must be Mitsuko, again. I swear if she poses as me one more time, I'm going to flip out." He grumbled to no one in particular as hot water stopped flowing down from the nozzle. A quick glance at the mirror revealed hair that extended far beyond his shoulders with small crystal droplets still hanging from his locks.

Outside the bathroom door, a certain blue haired girl entered the room and practically leapt on the bed with groan before laying on her back. "Ne, Yukito-kun, why did you leave the party so suddenly? You looked like you were really enjoying yourself before the senpai started interviewing you. Were you embarrassed or something?" Shizune asked.

"Not really." The voice from behind the door was muffled slightly before the lock clicked open and a figure stepped out. "I just wanted to see how the love birds would react after I said those things."

"After Ichika helped Cecilia in the fight and what the senpai said, I thought I would milk this rumor for all its worth." He explained gesturing to the computer, which was extensively upgraded. His side sported four monitors, each having a recording of the party from a different angle. He basically had the entire party on video, from start to late finish. Can someone say blackmail material?

"But I was so fun!" She said excitedly. "Oh, Yukito-kun, you missed so much! There was singing, and food, and dancing, and everyone was happy! It was a shame you left."

"I know, can't you see the cameras?" He asked lightheartedly before shaking his head. "And after seeing Cecilia turn red, I decided it wasn't safe to be in the vicinity anymore."

"You shouldn't tease Cecilia-chan so much either." Shizune berated him playfully, trying her best not to look affected by the fact that the boy strolled in shirtless.

He wasn't the most muscular guy around and in terms of physique, Ichika would probably win that battle. Moving at extreme speeds must have done something to tone his muscles and even if the intense kendo training did much better, he wasn't too hard on the eyes. "Put on a shirt will you?! Seriously, I thought you would be a bit more considerate about this."

"It's hot, so I need no shirt, and form the looks of things, you seem to be enjoying the show." He said with a radiant smirk as the cerulean-haired girl turned utterly red. A strange aura began to fill the room as he turned to his roommate, who was just barely restraining her fury.

"I'm not going to like what happens next am I?" She nodded menacingly before pulling the curtain pole from out of nowhere.

"I am also assuming you hid all my clothes so I can't run away. Well, before I get what I deserve, I only have one thing to say." He asked, a hint of terror in his voice as the curtains began to fall due to their sudden loss of support.

"And what might that be?" She asked sweetly as a killing aura enveloped the room.

The most reliable student in class 1-1 was very gentle most times, though a worthy adversary for even Chifuyu Orimura if you ever managed to get on her almost nonexistent bad side. Needless to say, only someone very evil or stupid achieved such a feat. To decide whether he was the former or the latter at the current time is impossible.

"TOTALLY WORTH IT, I REGRET NOTHING!" Those were the last coherent words he uttered before the senseless screaming took over.

Sounds of anguish would have erupted from the room that night, filling the hollow halls with haunting screams and pained groans. The very sound of the demons torturing souls in hell itself would have resounded from the door's wooden frame, if only the walls and the door had not been made soundproof.

The most reliable student indeed.

This is a Page Break

_Yukito-onii is thinking of something bad again isn't he?_ Mitsuko wondered as she twirled a lock of silver hair in her fingers while looking up at the moon.

"Deep in thought again, Mitsuko-chan?" A figure robed in a white kimono entered the room, a smile etched on the elder sister's face as she looked at her. "Oh, come now. There's nothing to worry about. It's not like anything bad would happen." She said as reassuringly as possible as the younger of the two scanned her surroundings.

The room was fairly simple and roomy, containing three beds next to the creamy white wall while a series of shelves loomed opposite them. The floor was made of exquisite hard wood while the ceiling was dotted with a set of simple florescent lights. A desk flanked the trio of beds of either side, Mitsuko herself was sitting on it while gazing at the full moon visible through the lightly tinted window.

Mayumi stood on the other side of the room, next to the bathroom door and the exit of the room while drying her damp hair with a towel. Both their gazes landed fondly on the bed in between their own, the same place their brother used to sleep in before he moved out.

"The last time he said something like that, it took him three years to get back. It would have been even longer if we didn't pick him up from that awful factory we found him in. Don't I have a right to be worried?" The younger asked softly, regret lining her voice as she continued to avert her gaze elsewhere.

"No, you have every right to be, though he wouldn't like it if you stopped smiling on his account." She said, as she draped her arms over the younger of the two.

"Come on, it looks like he got himself into a mess with a girl, again. It would be useless worrying about him now." The elder added with a soft chuckle, imagining the scene of her brother having his rear end handed to him on a silver platter. The younger couldn't help but join in the mirth, though the live video feed she installed had nothing to do with it.

"Knowing Onii-chan, he would probably take his punishment like a man." She giggled a bit at her brother's declaration before watching him run like a scared rabbit while his roommate practically leapt from wall to wall to keep him cornered.

"I wonder how she would do in an IS? Cornering onii was never an easy feat..." A soft sigh escaped her lips before the smile on her face straightened into an expression that betrayed no emotion. "…Even I couldn't do it, and he was still injured after that incident with the Ka-chan he kept talking about."

"Oh don't be so glum, Mitsuko-chan." The Mayumi then lifted her up and spun her about, before returning to her original position, the light sparking the beginning of a smile returning to the younger's once darkened expression.

"Rome wasn't built in a day…" Ancient but incredibly simple wisdom would have been shared, the night would have become lighter and brighter with the melody of her speech, the whole world would have probably benefited from what she had said next, if only she was allowed to.

"But that guy on the screen said it was. He even had it shown that all it took was a flash of lights! He lied to me?!" The younger yelled childishly, quickly interrupted the elder with a tantrum, though it was all in good humor as the elder just laughed it off.

"You shouldn't trust everything you hear on the internet." The elder berated. "Now you should be going to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow with that friend of yours. I'm so proud of you, you know? I thought my having three times for student council president was surprising but your nine was even more impressive."

She beamed with pride as she turned gracefully, glancing at the younger to make sure she took action. "Who knew you would end up like me, being a co-president of the student council?"

"Okay." She said as he leapt to her bed on the other side of the room. The elder just shook her head as she elegantly lay down on her own.

"I wonder who he's doing now." The younger thought out loud, causing the elder to shiver in surprise and shoot her a look of pure disbelief. Though just like her comrade, it disappeared the moment it surfaced.

"Sweetie, I think you mean _how_ he's doing." Mayumi said before shifting to look at the moon herself, fondness filling her face as she braced herself for what she knew would happen next. He sister could be a bit of a ditz sometimes, her thoughts are always puzzling to say the least, but it's in those moments of whimsy that she finds relaxation.

"No." She said innocently at the back of her elder sister. "It would be funny wouldn't it? If we were to visit him randomly to find him somewhere in the room…"

"Go to sleep Mitsuko-chan." Mayumi deadpanned, not intent on hearing what Mitsuko would say next.

"But, Yukito-onii, maybe…" Mitsuko continued in an innocent tone before being promptly interrupted. The younger was restless, though the elder would not be denied that night.

"Just go to sleep." Mayumi repeated, with more force than before. The voice that humbly echoed in the world though garnering every ounce of respect resounded, though...

"But I can't sleep since…" The younger still continue to argue. She would not go down easily, though not stay up for long. The pressure doubled once more before the elder spoke.

"Go to sleep." The radiant smile and quiet but empirical melodic laughter would be forever lost to her pair of younger siblings as Mitsuko fell into sleep's embrace. Mayumi just lay there, looking into the wonder of the night as her mind began to wander, her thoughts for her friends.

_How are you coping, Chichi, Tabane? All three of them are growing up so fast that the next thing we know, they would be going off on their own. In time, we would have to tell them everything about us, about each other. Will they be ready for it? _The smile on her face answered those all questions.

This is a Page Break

"You're getting better Ichika." Yukito said from behind his faceless mask before the blade of his scythe smashed against the silver shield, throwing its wielder a few meters back.

The pistol in his other hand flared to life as soon as the scythe lost contact, sending a dozen yellow beams in quick succession, though the same thing that blacked the melee weapon came in between them and their intended target. The wielder of the shield showed the smile on his face before brandishing a silver blade, the closed form.

"What's the matter, Yukito? You were much faster during the match, and even during the training yesterday. What gives?" Ichika taunted before initiation a charge of his own, using his one shield the power through the storm of yellow bullets before starting the clash with a horizontal slash for his hip.

The metal blade met the thick shaft of the scythe before it was redirected downwards, and the blade of the scythe shifted into a diagonal slash. He allowed his body to flow with the parried slash, allowing him to turn the shield just in time for it to intercept the curved blade, flinging himself away once more to allowing the black giant a few moments of respite.

"It only looks fast, Ichika." The black giant's stance shifted so that it stood straight. The formless stance was taken, a form that betrayed no intention to attack or defend, a totally unreadable stance.

"The lack of extra movements quickens the blow, I'm really slow compared to you, but if you slash wildly, I would be able to counter appropriately." The monstrous scythe disappeared only to be replaced by another pistol, and the battle resumed.

Despite its size, it moved like a falcon, darting around the arena with reckless abandon while sending several rounds downrange with ruthless efficiency. The changed tactic forced the white suit to rely on his own speed and his master crafted bulwark for survival, weaving through the beams he could dodge and blocking the majority of the projectiles he couldn't.

After a few days of training, he could last a bit over a minute of the relentless assault but that was only because he kept stationary. With him moving and blocking at the same time, the bullet rain did nothing to reduce the amount of shield points he had left, though it stopped him from offering any form of counter attack as well. This was basically a stalemate between the two, with the range attacks doing nothing but stall the inevitable.

"Why don't you come here and fight like a man! Only a coward uses a gun against a sword fighter!" Ichika played on what he knew about his opponent, something he ironically learned from him.

It seemed that being called a coward was one of his more sensitive spots and pushing it would guarantee results. Unfortunately for him, the result was a giant barreling towards him at speeds that came very close to his own; basically turning into a battering ram about to crash against a cottage door that was his shield.

Without a second thought, he immediately, put his shield aside and thrust out his blade, praying that the form would evade instead of risking it; though considering his luck, it would never , a clawed hand parried the metal blade before another one held his shield arm high, allowing him to land a thruster-powered kick straight to Ichika's fork pushing him forwards and upwards with the serrated leg armor. The arena soon had a large, humanoid shaped depression on the concrete wall.

"Coward?!" Yukito yelled playfully, lowering his leg after executing his kick. "How did a rocket powered, chainsaw kick to the groin feel?" His boosters flared as the giant closed the distance in moments, landing a heavy cross on his chest and deepening the depression.

"Sorry, I made a little mistake on the statistics of this thing. In terms of swinging a sword or any weapon for that matter, I'm definitely slower than the normal suit. But when it comes to thruster output, I have one of the strongest systems in existence." Another solid flip kick aimed at the jaw forced Ichika into the air before he had time to catch his breath, a torrent of yellow began sticking him once more as he flew further damaging him.

Though to the black-haired boy, everything was going according to plan. His energy may have been greatly reduced by the damaging blows landed against him, and he was thanking the designer of his suit that it was protected even down there, but as soon as the giant tossed him aside it was to his advantage. The bullets striking his impregnable shield might as well have been dust in the wind with all the damage it was doing, it was hurting his shield arm though. It was only a matter of time before he would win.

With the help of gravity, Ichika zoomed towards Yukito in a mad rush, paying no heed to the projectile striking his shield before discarding it entirely and devoting all his focus on attack. The falling shield was enough of a distraction and with the element of surprise, his blade traced through the air with the energy that composed it.

It struck the blade of the vicious scythe, though it was caught in one of the hooks, allowing the giant to flick his wrist and send the blade flying. "Check." Yukito whispered before bringing his scythe down at speeds that made Ichika skeptical about the fact it was moving slower than an average suit.

"Right back at you." He said with a smirk of his own before the scythe came to a sudden halt, Ichika's form about a few inches to the side while his right hand was raised in rebellion. "You forgot to guard your back. Giving me enough time to do this." He leapt back to where his sword had landed, before charging with his blade overhead. His own attack came down while the scythe remained stationary, the bladed shield keeping the pined butt of the spear in place lest the shield's bladed edges dig into Yukito's back.

The silver katana would have struck true, though he forgot about one very important fact about scythes; they required a both hands to wield properly. That didn't seem very important at the moment, but with the shield supporting the polearm, a sidearm fired from the giant's hip, disarming the white suit before leveling the barrel straight at Ichika's shocked face.

"Checkmate" He said before a clawed thumb fiddled with something on the side of the barrel, something that looked like a switch. In moments, a scope materialized over the railing while the barrel seemed to extend a bit to sport a new muzzle break. The new pistol sported different other slight changes, though the first and foremost was the rate of fire. Yellow beams of hellfire traced the air as the barrel began pouring out projectile after projectile at the rate a jet engine blows away autumn leaves.

The shield behind him attempted to dematerialize to return to its owner, though by the time the scythe was free, dozens of beams hit home, forcing the suit to lean on its last legs. Just to make sure his opponent would lay defeated, the scythe fell to the floor with a dull thud, while another upgraded pistol rained yellow hell down on Ichika, making his defeat all but certain.

"So that leaves us with a score of about, we've just been doing this for a while so, 17 for me and 13 for you." Yukito smiled before dematerializing his own suit in a bright flash of light instead of a cloud of darkness. "Thanks for helping me train by the way, I never would have been able to cope with the mental stress if this was serious. The human mind was never designed to manipulate something twice as large and thrice as heavy as the body without any dire consequences. Fainting the first 10 times sucked."

"You were just playing with me? So you're telling me, the only reason I was able to beat you was because you fainted, because of the suit, then the other times were just lucky?!" The defeated boy asked incredulously as his suit dematerialized as well, accepting the hand offered to him as he got back on his feet.

"And to add to that, I just made you a bit stronger now didn't I? God have mercy the person who forces you to go all out next time." Ichika said, graceful in defeat and with more tact than he would ever have when it came to women.

"You give yourself too little credit, Ichika." A brotherly slap on the back almost forced Ichika to the ground before the same hand pulled on the skin tight top he was wearing. "I'm perfectly aware of the fact that your shield has more than one purpose, other purposes you have been testing without me being there."

A sly smirk made its way onto his lips as he walked past the slightly surprised boy. "There's a lot to do with twelve separate blades, and considering your abilities with software, application of theory and battle itself, this should be interesting. You go all out first, then I will respond in kind. See you in class" Yukito then walked away leaving a chuckling Ichika in the middle of the arena.

"So he found out the 'Blade of the Dragon' plan, huh? Should have seen that coming." Ichika asked himself before turning to find himself alone once more. With a shrug, he started off the opposite end of the arena, the twinkle in his eyes never fading even after his defeat. "Back to the drawing board then."

**AN**

**Okay, i'm still alive and kicking(or writing) and here's the latest one finally out. School just started and being one of the youngest seniors out there isn't as fun as I thought it would be(cough*Buried in homework after a couple of days, not fun*cough) I'll try to write more often but no promises **

**I decided to put a bit more original content in this and a small peek into Yukito's past. As most of you could see, if its got Ichika in it, it's usually mostly in his third person view, ergo(Everything in Latin it better) he is still the main character. for all of you who think that Yukito would push him out of there, think again. the OC's character is supposed to make the true main more interesting(in this case via bastardly manipulation). **

**Decided to make Ichika smarter, Tabane should have been much more available than his sister though not so much so that he could whip up an IS part or original weaponry in nothing flat. He would still be a bit better in battle but with a just bit of a rank up in terms of IS tech, making sure no one except Yukito and Tabane know about his knowledge(involves playing dumb).**

**Also decided to add a bit more humor in this one and less heavy stuff, at least i think so, less fight scenes and more gags and potshots about Ichika's love life. Anyone who can name the shout-outs get the proverbial cheese the first mouse tried to get before the mousetrap was sprung. **

**For pairings, i'm not really decided yet so you guys can give suggestions. The classic IchikaX(insert girl's name here) and the like. If you want Yukito to have a girl, never really planed for that scenario since I personally shy away from OCXanyone fics, just say so though I never planed for him so I promise to do my best. if you people dare pair them with each other, just NO.**

**Finally, please, for the love of humanity, please review to give me your opinions, If you think it sucks then tell me, logically and gently if you don't mind, why. If you think it's nice, a pat on the back would do wonders. Seriously 3000+ views and 9 reviews isn't really the best thing to see.**

**Thanks for the guys who do review and sorry for the long update gaps.**

**See ya**


	6. Chapter 6

_**CHAPTER SIX: Back from the Past; Friends and Foes.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**_

_ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

"That was interesting." Mayumi began before swiveling her chair a full 360 degrees, not unlike what a child would do. "His ability to learn how to use a shield in such a short time and apply it in battle is astounding. Are you sure it's not hereditary?"

The question was directed to one Chifuyu Orimura, who was standing beside her from start to finish. The other's lack of reply was taken as a nod to go on. "I wonder what other similarities the two of you have. It can't be just the penchant for hitting people, that's for sure."

"Stop joking around, we have a serious problem now." Chifuyu grumbled in reply, keeping her currently smoking notebook even as her eyes never left the screen. With a tap on the keyboard, the recorded battle between their brothers began to replay itself once more, though the speed was reduced dramatically while the images insanely sharpened.

It suddenly stopped at certain point in the video, showing the two combatants face to face. The hooded mask of Yukito stared blankly at Ichika, who held his sword against the outer blade of the crescent scythe. Sparks were suspended in midair as crackling energy of the purest azure met the obsidian and crimson blade, each weapon held in place by the other in a perfect standstill, yet it was not the weapons that caught their attention. What they happened upon in the background was the true reason for their momentary ire.

Chifuyu immediately turned to look at her colleague with no hint of surprise as her countenance darkened. "They're being watched, and if that's what I think it is, they're targets."

"My, this is a problem." Mayumi stood beside her companion, reaching out her hand to trace the object of their troubles. "What do we do then?" Her gaze landed on Chifuyu who turned back to the screen with a tinge of anger.

Killing intent filled the room as the moments dragged, though as for who the source of the aura was; it up for debate. "We can't just wait for one of them to make the first move, can we? What will that do the school, the surrounding area? More importantly, what will it do to the students, to your brother?"

The mention of her brother was the only thing that managed to spark any interest in her rage-filled eyes, though as she directed her gaze at the younger between them, a look of unbridled wrath met her eyes. "We can't really do anything at this point, you and I both know that." She took a breath before looking at her knowingly, speaking in a tone usually reserved for her younger brother, or her closest friend.

"You think I would wish that fate for anyone here? Do you really think I'm that heartless?" She watched patiently as her companion's eyes softened and her form slumped back into the chair. An exasperated sigh escaped from both of them before the younger started grumbling.

"No." Came the soft but chilling reply of the younger. "That doesn't mean I have to like it but if only we predicted this sooner, things would have been more peaceful." On her face was a small frown as she rested her cheek on her left fist.

Her right hand clutched the air before it, forcing a long and ornate rapier to materialize before the very tip of the blade cut through the hologram projection of the battle. "They better prepare for a war then, I plan to give them hell if they ever try something like this again. They'll know my wrath."

"A war?" Chifuyu looked to Mayumi with an expression of disbelief. "You plan to wage a war against whoever was watching the two?" A soft chuckle emanated from her throat, slowly snowballing to fill the room with clear laughter.

If the voice of Mayumi was considered empyreal and transcendent, the sound that filled the room was outright demonic, in every sense of the word. "You hear that? She wants to give you a war! She wants to utterly massacre your troops in cold blood and litter the battlefield with their dead bodies!"

Mayumi stood from her chair and looked at Chifuyu with a curious expression. From in front of her chair, she executed a backflip the grace of an Olympic gymnast, deftly snatching what seemed to be an invisible object from the ceiling before landing back into her chair. She looked at her palm with a wry smile before jerking her hand upwards, as if lightly throwing something into the air.

"Too bad, Orimura-san isn't as merciful as I am." She whispered, speaking to no one in particular before her rapier seemingly flicker from its position for just a moment. A smile appeared on her face as shredded pieces of the already miniscule bug fell into her palm. "Let's get to work then." She said, leaving her chair.

"You think they got the message?" Chifuyu asked Mayumi as they both began to walk towards the exit, the diabolical smirk on her face widening with every passing moment. The killing intent in the air soon faded as they began to move, the room itself ceased creaking under the immense pressure their very presences exerted on the extensively reinforced bulletproof doors. Her friend only tittered playfully for a little while before throwing an arm around her, giving her a slight push to quicken their pace on their way out.

"There is only one way to find out for sure…" Mayumi answered with a wink before her foot gently kicked Chifuyu's rear end from behind, earning a scowl from the ace pilot turned teacher. "…and that's to poke the bear some more. But then, who wouldn't feel threatened when the world's most powerful pilots are out to get them."

Her hand clenched slightly, and with strength that should elude the hand of a young girl, the once cloaked bug setup in the room was promptly crushed until nothing but metallic dust remained.

One could only imagine the look of the faces of those who listened on the other side of the line. Then there was also the case of the strange smell that emanated from their pants.

This is a Page Break

"Okay let's see what you know, huh, I-kun?" A high pitched voice just brimming with excitement echoed from the communicator he held in his hand. On the other end of the line, he could see his mentor, the best friend of his elder sister, though a projected hologram, flashing a grin that could split her face as she waited in anticipation for his answer.

He knew he had done right when he exited his room before hand as he sat in a chair in the middle of the empty cafeteria; running to a place his roommate would not think to look at such an early hour. "I am grateful you agreed to apprentice me in the first place, and using an IS built with your own two hands is something no one save my sister can brag about, but was it necessary to sneak in a weapon I would be hard pressed to use?"

His voice was exasperated as he spoke in a hushed whisper. He could never be too careful about these things. "It took several weeks of training to be able to use that shield, and it felt like Nee-san's training." _Which consisted of a purely one sided beat down._ He added.

"Oh, I-kun doesn't like my surprise?" A cute pout formed on her face, something a twenty-year-old should never be able to execute with such flawlessness. "I thought you would like shifting a bit from Chi-chan's style. But no one cares what you think about it, what matters is that you use it!"

She thrust her fist in the air childishly before returning her gaze to the screen. "So how's the homework I've given you doing? Tabane-sensei will get disappointed if you still don't have results." She entered lecture-mode, crossing her arms.

He took a deep breath before donning a serious look, viewing the one before him as his mentor instead of a close family friend. "I have figured out about four or five ways it could be used, though the first two being the fact that it could be used as a series of swords for different circumstances and a shield when in need of defense."

He explained eloquently before a barely noticeable smirk surfaced on his face, not missing a beat as he let the knowledge flow. "As for the other two, I will wait for the Class Representative Tournament to take those cards out, I can't be too careful."

"Aw, making your poor Tabane-sensei wait, that's mean I-kun!" She complained puerilely, flailing her arms around like an infant throwing a tantrum. "You didn't even get figure it all out yet, I thought you were better than that!" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed convincingly to an astonishing degree while Ichika just gaped in surprise.

"Wait, what?" He asked dubiously, utterly taken aback by what he had heard. "It's just a series of swords! You're telling me it can do other things?" He was shouting now, being driven up a very high wall at that point. Though, it was very fortunate for the both of them that absolutely no one was in the immediate area at the moment.

"Of course I-kun, I wouldn't be the super genius and everyone's idol, THE Shinonono Tabane if I didn't. I have an image to protect you know?" Just as quickly as she descended into despair, she recovered and came back with a vengeance, more jovial as her laughter filled the area.

"There are exactly ten ways to use those swords, and you did get a couple down. Too bad for you, the other four would be much harder to apply in general combat but then three are much easier to learn." She proceeded to explain while Ichika listened.

"I'm guessing you won't be telling me any of that, are you Tabane-nee?" He asked with a tinge of hesitation despite already knowing the answer as soon as she contacted him, a soft sigh returned the room to a more sober atmosphere, infinitely more suited to the time of the day.

"I know of the other things you put in these things, I don't know how in the world you managed to make it virtually indestructible and cost absolutely nothing, but how to innovate outside a battle was never my style. I can't do it." He admitted sheepishly.

"I know." That was her simple reply before a genuine smile graced his vision. "Don't worry, I-kun, you'll get it eventually, just have a bit more faith in yourself. I've even planned a few things to help you out with that little problem."

His phone vibrated in his right pocket as a smile of his own crept across his face. "Just don't overdo it and you would do great. I also noticed another male can pilot my creations. How is he?" The sudden change in atmosphere did not go unnoticed, neither did the serious tone she never spoke in.

"Fine I guess." He replied as a reflex while his mind kicked into high gear. _What's wrong? Tabane-nee never speaks so seriously unless someone's life is on the line, and even then she's still strangely casual about it. What could affect her this much?_

"As far as I know, he's a great fighter, though is about my level as a pilot. That huge suit of his is annoying at times, though it's mostly his fighting skills that get me. In terms of battle, we're evenly matched; after out last training session I got the score to 25 all. In terms of knowledge about the IS, he seems to be just as smart as my other classmates so, far below me in that regard. A very nice guy really, just extremely manipulative and calculating. Everything that happens just seems to fall right into his plans, no one knows how many are there." He explained without any hint of surprise, hoping she noticed nothing. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." As a long time practitioner of the art, Ichika could recognize a fake smile when he saw one, especially when one was glaring at him right in the face.

"It's just fun to experiment with more variables, that's all. Anyway, I-kun, talk to you next time! Look after Chi-chan and Houki-chan for me!" The line went dead soon after, leaving Ichika with several thoughts on his mind and mixed feelings about the matter. Several scenarios poured forth and facts had been checked and rechecked, though one stood out in particular.

'_I met the doctor myself once…'_ The voice of his "friend" echoed in his mind as the image of his sister figure-turned-mentor's indignant smile appeared in front of his mind's eye. _Yukito Sumeragi, you dared to hurt my other Nee-san?_ Killing intent that could rival his sister's soon filled the room while the sun began to color the sky from beyond the horizon.

With the suffocating aura palpable and great enough to make lesser beings head for the hills, it truly was a good thing no one else was around.

This is a Page Break

"Morning everyone! Oh, Orimura-kun, have you heard about the other transfer student coming here?" A girl who rushed in immediately asked him as soon as she got seated.

He had been attending the Academy for a few weeks now and with the time, he also got more comfortable talking to the only sentient living things around: other girls. Needless to say, Yukito got less camera worthy incidents of Ichika with other girls though other thing seemed to be occupying his thoughts other than school work.

He spent less time training with him, in more understandable terms, began beating him to the ground as soon as the fight begins and leaves without as much as a word. It was very peculiar.

"Really, a transfer student, this early? Maybe she's one of the girls who forgot all about the exams, must be another Representative Candidate, right?" Ichika replied offhandedly, saying what was on his mind without much thought.

It was obvious to him that only people with both influence and a great deal of skill could pull off such a stunt, though he ended up revealing something the rest of his class knew only because of an announcement. He almost gasped when he realized what he had done, good thing no one noticed.

"Never really pegged you as one of the well informed types, but yeah." She replied nervously before continuing, no doubt shocked by Ichika's indifferent and even reply. "If I'm right, she's the Representative Candidate of China, a country with one of the best takeout." All were shocked as the boy paid no mind to the joke, but something did surprise him.

"Another Representative Candidate you say?" Ichika's eyes widened as Cecilia came out of nowhere without as much as a sound. She was in her usual stance, with a hand against her hip and most if not all her weight on a single leg.

The boy tried not to think of anything inappropriate as he recalled the time Yukito explained just how easy it was to get her on the floor. "She must be here to keep an eye on me then. Well, being extremely talented does have its downsides." It was a genuine sigh that escaped from her lips, ah pride.

"Just as long as she won't be joining this class, it would be fine." Houki also appeared out of nowhere, staying behind in their room one moment then materializing beside him the next. "Though the chances of her joining this particular class are about 12.5% to begin with since there are only eight classes, plus the fact that we have three personal IS users here narrows it down to zero. Definitely nothing to worry about here." She said in a cold and calculating voice while crossing her arms in front of her chest, not unlike her sister.

"Sure, though I wonder what she's like." He said in a wistful tone before looking straight at the window; yes at the window and not at the scenery outside as if doubting its authenticity.

"If she is a Representative Candidate then things sure are going to get hectic around here. Cecilia was strong, and this time around it's just single combat." He turned back to the group around him with a small worried smile etched on his face.

"You're worried about that?" Houki asked with a sour tone, scaring Ichika into thinking of the best course of action.

_Not replying would make her angry, and saying something stupid would only make it worse. What do I do? _He thought desperately as several scenarios ran through his mind. In the end he used his fallback tactic of speaking with honesty.

"A little, yeah." Ichika spurted before Houki's groan reached his ears. _What's gotten her in such a sour mood this time? _He asked himself mentally as several possibilities entered his head. He had noticed her mood swings were more frequent and less subtle, and that put him in a very difficult and confusing position as her friend and roommate.

"You have neither the time nor the reason to worry about something like that, Ichika." Houki stared down at him coldly before continuing with a vengeful smirk. "If anything, your training later would be your more immediate concern." She said with a tone more tooth rotting than saccharine as the boy shuddered: his win record against her was still nil.

"That's right Ichika-san." He resisted the urge to clean his ears after hearing Cecilia agree with his childhood friend. "The tournament day is fast approaching and we can't let you get caught off guard! You need much more practical training instead of unassisted sparring or just a review of piloting operations and protocol. Why don't you meet me in the arena after class? That way, you could have a proper match against an opponent of my caliber." She bragged proudly as Ichika resisted the urge to bury his face into his palm.

_Didn't she realize it too BOTH of is to keep Yukito down?_ Ichika struggled to keep his mind and his mouth as unsynchronized as possible, knowing that failure to do so would mean instant execution.

He had very good reason to think so though since the Representative Candidate was wholly disarmed even before he was, and now after he had spared with the man himself for weeks she thinks they were on equal footing. He was not so blind as not to see that her insufferable pride cost her the match and she still failed to see it.

On the other hand, she was right about one thing. He had been training with Houki in the way of the sword, Yukito helped him in the usage of the shield and Tabane guided him though the inner workings of her grand machine.

He had never encountered someone who would rely purely on firearms before, always using close combat against other specialists of the same field. One with her level of recognition should be able to pose some sort of challenge and, with the speed statistics of her machine, have a real chance at winning.

His thoughts then wandered towards the tournament itself, and why it took place at all. It was supposed to be some sort of diagnostic test, with the best of the classes representing them as a whole. The battle data should help the teachers grasp how well the students were in terms of skill and the added experience would greatly benefit the pilots participating. It also promoted class teamwork and unity, seeing as absolute support was required to win. The prize being a half-year's supply of desserts that would make any mouth water did not do anything to impede the student's spirits.

"I can only promise that I'll do my best, nothing more, nothing less." In the end he decided to select the most neutral answer since anything leaning anywhere would have probably landed him in a difficult situation.

Strange, for the life of him, he could never tell why he was always caught in such situations despite his best efforts and vast intellect. This time, the class decided to cheer him on, as if he had too little confidence in himself. He decided to take the salvo, knowing that they did have his best interests at heart.

"Doing what your best is well and good, Ichika-san, but you absolutely have to win this! We believe in you!" One yelled from the corner of the room so suddenly that he jolted.

"Yeah, Orimura-kun. You're a guy so where's the sense of pride you showed when you fought Cecilia? You have to give it your best like when you fended off Sumeragi-kun!" Another cried in reply from the exact opposite side, her voice filled with absolute confidence.

"If you win, everyone will full!" The third proclaimed in all honesty as the entire class took the moment to nod knowingly in response before adding their voices to the chorus.

The entire class started to surround him as cries of encouragement echoed throughout the confines of the room. The entirety of the class' hopes and expectations fell on his shoulders and disappointing all of them would be a disastrous blow to the class morale and his own pride. The atmosphere was no unlike that of a sendoff with all in his presence trying to motivate him to grasp victory with gleeful tones and expectant expressions. It was as if the very air filled him to the brim with confidence, every breath lightening.

"For the deserts, Orimura-kun! Do it for the sweet, sweet deserts!" A voice that could only be the girl in pajamas exclaimed drowsily, her mouth already watering from the thought.

"Only the representatives from class 1-1 and 1-4 have personal IS users anyway, so it should be easy to win this! Don't let us down!" Takatsuki chimed in happily from the side.

"Yeah." Another lame reply came out of his lips as the cheering continued. He knew he couldn't match their energy so a soft response would be best as to show no disrespect.

"Hate to spoil your party, but that's not necessarily right anymore." A voice with a clear no nonsense tone cut through the wave of cheering like a razor against paper, drawing all eyes of the figure that spoke.

The voice was feminine, and that would have been enough to tell the gender of the girl leaning on the wall with both her arms crossed. Her figure was slender and her frame was a bit smaller that the regulars though power seemed to radiate for her fragile form. Brown hair hung form the sides of her head in the form of pigtails, supported by a pair of yellow ribbons. Her uniform was just like the others, save the long sleeves seemed to be detached from the main blazer, revealing her shoulders while a pair of brown boots clothed her bare legs. Her eyes met the class and mischievous green eyes started out at them while a sinister smirk hung under her nose.

"For your information, class 1-2's representative also has a Personal IS, so you can't expect this battle to be just a walk in the park." She added with confidence, like she already won it.

Ichika's eyes flashed with recognition, he knew her, though confirmation was still needed in any situation. "Rin? Is that you Rin?" He asked frantically as he stood from his seat.

"Who else do you think I am?" She asked haughtily in a tone resembling the one Cecilia used to talk to him with. "I am the Representative of class 1-2, Representative Candidate of China, Huang Lingyin and I'm here to declare war!" It was just as plain and simple as she said: a declaration of war. He would have accepted if he didn't know her better.

"Then I think it's only natural that I, Ichika Orimura, Representative of class 1-1, to…" He had started strong, looking like a proud warrior about to respond to an honorable challenge, well he would have that is, if he didn't start laughing.

"Oh that's a good one Rin! What happened to you? Why are you acting all cool now?" He asked with tears in his eyes while a slight titter caught his voice. Another violent episode of laughter racked through him, turning the girl before him red as her cool façade was quickly crushed.

"W-what are you talking about…?" She was cut off when a gust of wind powered through the door, rustling through clothes and turning the pages of any open book. As the air stilled, all eyes noticed a third figure standing in the room, his white hair still defying gravity's hold for a moment before flowing down.

"What the hell was that…" The girl tried again only to be interrupted a second time by the figure behind her, bonking her gently on the head to keep her form speaking.

Rin turned in rage while the entire class rearranged itself behind her, all equally afraid of the demon she laid her eyes on. "It's time for homeroom, little girl. Go back to your class before you end up being late of your first day." Chifuyu said in an unnerving monotone as Rin stood there shell-shocked and stuttering her name, earning her another hit. "Hurry."

As the teacher, and so did the danger, pass over, Rin regained her composure and ability to speak. "I'll be back Ichika, so don't go anywhere alright?" Those were her last proud words before she made an exit that would same a scared jackrabbit. Yukito just eyed the event curiously before taking a load off on his seat while Chifuyu stood in the center.

This is a Page Break

"This is all your fault, Ichika, you idiot!" Houki screamed, seething with contempt as soon as the pair of teachers left the room. She was angry at him, he was sure though the reason, as usual, eluded him.

It didn't help that Yukito was behind him trying desperately to keep his laughter in check while his childhood friend began to berate him mercilessly In front of the entire class. He was about to work up the nerve to counter with his own voice if another hadn't stepped up and interrupted him with a scream.

"Yes, Ichika-san, and as a gentleman you have to take responsibility!" Cecilia added her voice soon after, causing a large guffaw to emanate from Yukito's throat while he made his way back to his desk to support himself. Now he was really confused, it seemed like both girls were upset with him and only his brother-in-arms knew why. He honestly didn't.

"What did I do to you both this time?" He asked with a weary voice as the two raged before him. All he knew about the situation was that Maya had warned them about five times while his elder sister smacked them about the same number. They didn't seem to be paying attention to the lesson but how was that his fault. He would never understand women.

_Why do they always have to do something like this? _He thought to himself while Yukito recovered from his laughing fit. _Oh come on! It's not that funny, it can't be that funny!_

"You guys can continue your feud here while I go grab something to eat. Don' have too much fun without me." Yukito chimed before walking out the door, the sinister suave smirk never leaving his face. "Or you could just shut up and come with me so you don't bother anyone else anymore. Sound like a plan?" He said from outside, not even turning to look.

"Well I'm going with you if you don't mind." In a flash the pair stood side by side, Ichika looking at him with gratitude before walking towards the cafeteria, the other two girls along with most of their class following in tow.

From the corner of his eye, Ichika could see Yukito slink behind for a moment before handing Shizune what looked like a bill while the latter just winked at him. _Why can't we get along like that?_ He thought as his mind wandered to Houki, who still wore the scowl from their last argument a few minutes ago.

"What took you so long Ichika? Do you have any idea rude it is to keep a girl waiting." As soon as he stepped in queue, a voice called out too him from not too far away. It was none other than his other childhood friend, one he called Rin during their school days, who happened to appear right in the space in front of him with a meal already in her hands.

"Yeah, it's been a while hasn't it, about a few hours or so right?" Yukito asked sweetly though the hint of impatience in his voice was overwhelmingly obvious. "If you don't mind, can the two of you have your little heartfelt reunion somewhere else? I hate to see that Ichika only entertained Houki here when they met but you are holding up the entire line."

"Oh sorry." The two friends said simultaneously due to the similarities between the tone Yukito uses and the one Chifuyu uses whenever she means business. "So Rin, never thought you would be going to a pace like this, much less as a Representative Candidate. It was really surprising since you were always the one would call before doing anything."

"Well if I did call it would have ruined the dramatic reunion, not that it wasn't already ruined by the white haired son of…" She said cheerfully though that last part was somewhat mumbled that no one other that herself heard what she muttered. Though it looked like someone heard since whispers started to make themselves heard as the pair conversed.

"Okay, it looks like you still have a hard time with Chifuyu-nee." He more of forced the words out while keeping a giggle in. He had faint memories of his sister bullying his friends without intending to, and Rin, being one of the only girls, definitely had it worst. She would always glare at her, that's saying something since her glares would singe lesser souls.

"Uh, I-I'm, I mean I do-don't have a-a pro-problem with her…" She replied with a frightened stutter; so much for trying to lie her way out. "We just never really had the time to talk to each other that's all. But let's just talk somewhere else, my food's getting cold." That forced his eyes to what was on her tray, it was the same thing she had all the time.

"Another ramen, Rin, really?" Ichika asked incredulously though in good humor as Rin's mood seemed to perk up. "You really haven't changed a bit since the year we've been apart. Have you been well?" He asked politely as he retrieved his own meal form the counter before walking alongside her in a search for a table. It really reminded him of the old days, when he was still in junior high school with her and Dan though strangely it seemed that even those small moments were slipping from him. His mind was too full of IS stuff.

"I've been fine, but you're the problem here. Why can't you just get an injury or sick or something you heath nut?" She asked in false anger as she began to change her pace, moving faster that he did as he struggled to catch up. He shook his head as her fiery attitude resurfaced again, nothing like the cool and collected facade she put on a while ago.

"What kind of a wish is that?" He asked as they all got themselves seated. Ichika and Rin sat together on one table while the rest of the watched from another.

Houki and Cecilia glared daggers at the black-haired boy, each projecting killing intent that it was surprising no one outright fainted on sight; though it did have something to do with the absence of anyone looking at them. The other three girls with them looked on curiously, being the clique known for their ability to spread gossip like wild fire, they listened and watched with great interest, hoping to catch as much of the story on their relationship as possible. while that was happening, the final two comprised of Yukito and Shizune just opted to eat their meal peacefully, though Yukito wasn't really in the talking mood to begin with after losing a bet with her.

"On to business then, there are so many questions I need to ask you since you've been gone." Ichika could have sworn he saw Yukito smirk before a large amount of air entered his lungs in preparation for the next bit. "How's your dad? When did you become the Representative Candidate of China? Is that why you moved out? Were you too lazy to enroll in the first place...?" He fired question after question at the rate a machine gun would be jealous of while Yukito chuckled from the side, comparing his friend to his little sister.

"Whoa, slow down there Ichika." Rin raised her hands before quickly getting her own statement out. It was too be expected though, since they had not seen one another for a year. Rin had her own rushing tide of questions, though she decided to prioritize this one first. "That's not exactly fair since I had something I've been dying to ask you ever since you were on the news. I heard you accidentally moved an IS during some sort of exam but how exactly did you do it?" Her eyes gleamed in anticipation while his mouth opened.

He was ready to tell the story he told the boy at the other table on the first day before a pair of hands struck the table, causing him to flinch slightly while looking for the source of the sound. As he lifted his eyes, he saw a pair of familiar faces, namely Cecilia and Houki, glaring straight into his soul. If looks could kill then God, or whoever is up there, help the other people killed as a pair of atomic bombs crashed into him.

"Ichika, I think it's time you…" She started to say until interrupted herself. Lo and behind, it was by the same person who saves him form awkward situations on a regular basis, only to throw him into something infinitely worse.

"Interesting…" Yukito materialized between the fuming girls while staring at the table like it was an ancient artifact. He took out a pen from his breast pocket and lightly tapped the surface of the table, nodding as a series of aquamarine shockwaves, much like ripples on the surface of a pond, emanated from the area struck.

"Note: strange repulsive force at work to expand the atomic gap in a localized area to extreme levels, most likely to keep any foreign molecules at extreme distances. Properties similar to the increased forces of cohesive attraction localized in the upper area of a liquid and visible effects of disturbed are also observed. This phenomenon only applies to a certain like said natural phenomenon." He struck it harder, and this time with the point of the pen, only for it to be stopped just a few micrometers form the surface; a literal hair's breadth away.

"Ahem" The lovely ladies said forcefully, causing the curious boy to jump in surprise before bringing the combined might of an ocean of rage down upon him. He might have been strong, maybe even divine, and maybe even higher but that was the moment he knew the true meaning of the words, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and suffice to say, he shrunk back.

"Now then, I believe you owe us an explanation Ichika. Surely you can't be anything other than friends with her?" They both asked suggestively, hitting home.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO!" Rin was waving her hands frantically now, trying to deny the statement while Ichika just sat dumbfounded for the moment. "It isn't like that I swear!"

"Yeah, nothing strange going on between us, and why would you guys even think of something like that? She's just my child good friend." Ichika managed to put up a decent defense in the midst of overwhelming pressure while the three looked at him with strange expressions. Houki wore something that screamed, "Are you kidding me, I was angry for that?" while Cecilia's face would have probably groaned,

"Oh no another one, and I thought one was hard enough to deal with!" Rin's expression was filled with unbridled anger, again he still didn't know how defending her would grand his such a look so he did the most reasonable thing, he asked. "Why are you angry now Rin? What's wrong?"

"I'm just fine!" She shouted quite vehemently before turning away in a huff.

"Ichika, explain yourself." Houki stated coldly, promising death if she didn't like his answer with her tone.

"Right, you moved out remember?" Ichika began to explain with a nostalgic smile across his face.

"I think that was sometime around the 4th Grade or something but just after you moved, Rin entered our class. She stayed with us for a couple of years before moving back to China just a year before we were all supposed to graduate. Strange, if Houki stayed a year longer or Rin came a bit earlier, we would have all been friend." Ichika began sifting through "What If's" while the other pair introduced themselves once more.

"Then I think being the earlier one I'll go first." Houki began with a barely noticeable smirk on her face. Something they poor boy did notice was the flicker of recognition in the other boy's eyes, something he barely caught when he looked to him for a bit of assistance "I'm Houki Shinonono, a friend of Ichika's. Nice to meet you."

"Yes, very nice to meet one of Ichika's old friends." Rin replied with a similar expression of hers. "I hope we could get along." She seemed sincere enough though there was something about her voice suggested otherwise. he was about to brush it off for the moment if the other boy didn't shoot him a look that spelled utter perdition, for them that is.

"Ichika, are we hallucinating, again?" He asked simply, his confident voice reduced to the trembling wreck he recognized when he was genuinely afraid.

What he was referring to was the fact that small traces of luminescent discharge was visible in the area between the two women. He knew it was impossible; static discharge was impossible to create without movement after all, though this reminded him eerily of the incident a few days back. He gulped as silently as possible as he felt the seat shift as Yukito sunk into it.

"Well, I cant have you all forgetting about me." Cecilia began in a haughty tone, leaving out that fact that absolutely no one was listening at that point. "I am Cecilia Alcott the..."

"So Ichika, I heard you became the representative of class 1-1. So how did that work out for you?" Rin asked nonchalantly, totally ignoring the ranting British princess.

"Yeah, that's about right. Too much effort on my part though" Ichika sighed as he recalled what had happened on that fateful day a few weeks ago. "I never wanted the position, but I was still dragged into the duel for the title. I lost, but apparently the punishment was to be the class's representative for the tournament. It was so confusing!"

"We can't do anything about that anymore, but if you want, I could help you with your training. Meet me some time after school so we could practice okay?" She offered

"Sure, that be great..." He began to say, before another heavy slam rocked the table, causing the other two boys to flinch.

Before them, the pair of maidens possessed by unbridled rage stood, looking at the black-haired boy with distaste while shooting glares at the girl he was conversing with. The only male population in the room could feel the anger radiating from them; an obvious sign that this situation was no nigh impossible to defuse peacefully.

"look here, I will not be ignored by some unknown enemy trying to sabotage our chances of winning by teaching our representative. Will will not take charity from the enemy." Cecilia screamed as he hands met the table's unknown force field, the sound echoing throughout the confines of the room, further highlighting their verbal argument.

"You will not be training Ichika!" Houki yelled in rebellion as she simultaneously brought her hands down on the table, definitely not please with what had happened.

"It 's my job to train him in the IS since he did beg me to do it, personally." The fact that she said begged struck a chord in his mind. He didn't really get on his knees and plead like a pathetic excuse for a man, though he did take her out to lunch and butter her up quite a bit before popping the question. _I guess it sort of count, then._ He thought offhandedly.

"Excuse me, but if I'm not mistaken, I was just having a nice little reunion with a friend I haven't seen in a year. I'm pretty sure you weren't invited to the conversation so I would appreciate it if you would just back off." Rin proclaimed in a no-nonsense manner, grinning all the while as the two's eyes dangerously narrowed. "Right Ichika?"

They turned to where the boy sat, seeing nothing but a depression on the couch that marked his presence there some time ago. They had been arguing for so long, with there visages so close together that they saw only each other's terrifying glares, and none of they boy in question.

It would have been a simple matter for him to just sneak away without a sound, considering that fact that their argument was the _only _source of noise in the entire cafeteria. One fact remained after all that had happened: The boy escaped.

It wasn't much of a loss though, for as the three came to the same conclusion, one simple though went though their minds. _Ichika is so dead when I meet him later._

This is a Page Break

"Thanks for the save back there." Ichika said with a weary tone as he accompanied Yukito down the hallway. "I have no idea what might have happened if we hung around there longer, but I have a strange suspicion they would blame it on me, again!" He graciously took the time to vent while Yukito just nodded knowingly. "What are your thoughts on it?"

"I don't really see any reason for them to be arguing, though it's probably just the stress of the competition." Yukito said with an absolute absence of emotion as he continued down their path to the arena.

It struck him as mildly amusing once he realized the girls that were upset at the young man beside him were the same girls about to train him; If by train him one meant beat him senseless within an inch of his life that is. Despite this, he held his lips straight as to keep anything resembling emotion inside.

"Yea, probably." Ichika shrugged, still very confused. "It's just a diagnostic anyway, I don't really see the big dead. I mean sure, the deserts are tempting but I don't think that's enough to force them to behave like animals."

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips as he realized that they all used to behave with hostility towards him before he eventually made friends with them. _They all have their own quirks though on of the things they do have in common is the penchant to __hit me for almost no particular reason at all._

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He deadpanned before shivers went down both their spines.

"I never thought I would ever have the displeasure of experiencing that. We will never understand women, I know that much, but what really strikes me as funny is the fact that they seem to argue most when you're around. Call me crazy, but maybe it really _is_ genuinely your fault." Yukito offered solemnly as Ichika stood rooted to the spot. Yukito gazed at him with a calculating eye while Ichika seemed to thing about it.

"Impossible. No guy can manage to get so many people, women in particular, that angry at him." He argued quite forcefully as hey resumed walking.

"I mean, come on, what do you think this is? What have I done to deserve something like this, seriously? I can't be that bad of a person. We were all friends back when I was younger, everything was all right back then, so how could this possibly happen?" Pent up confusion at the world did have ways of getting out, though at that point, Ichika was already passionately ranting.

"Hormones, I guess?" Yukito answered quickly before changing the topic, far too tired to listen to his cries at the moment. "Anyway, you have more immediate concerns, three girls are currently angry at you, and two of which are going to be training you in a few minutes. The only way you are coming out of this moderately harmed is if you figure out the source of their ire, or are stronger that the two put together."

He said as he dawned a pair of frameless glasses. "I'll be observing unless the need arises for me to interfere."

"So your basically going to standby in one of the hangers while you watch me get pummeled into oblivion, right?" A mass of white shaking wildly in an over-the-top nodding motion, despite how funny it might have looked, did nothing to lift his spirits.

"Fine, but just don't take a video of the battle unless you plan to take part in it too." A wry smile tugged on his lips as Yukito frowned, definitely not amused. "What, it's only fair."

"Fine, but you should pick up the pace a bit. I don't think girls like being kept waiting." Yukito's smirk returned before he made a quick but silent exit, leaving Ichika alone with his thoughts. He knew there was no time for idleness now, and made his way into the arena grounds, not expecting what he saw next.

"Houki? What are you..?" Ichika managed to grate out after staring at his childhood friend for a few moments. She simply huffed in annoyance before voicing a reply of her own.

"Are you really that surprised? Do I really look that strange in this thing?" She asked with a tone that easily gave off an air of irritation. There, she was angry at him again.

"Ichika, I'm ready for our training session. We're going to start with the basic...Shinonono-san? What are you doing here?" Cecilia called out to Ichika so they might begin, only to be taken aback by the sudden appearance of one Houki Shinonono. If anyone was in the other hanger area, they would see a semblance of a smile on Yukito's face.

As per the reason of their surprise, Houki was standing in the middle of the arena and clad in an Uchigane IS suit.

Like Hakko no Hahen's original form, it's appearance was somewhat overly simplistic, focusing of functionality rather that design. The legs were built like solid blocks with pinkish lines crossing along the shin area. A large arc like structure hovered behind her, it was a piece of skirt armor met to protect her leg area and house several thrusters for mobility.

Since most of the thrust came from this piece of equipment, it was the single larges part of the entire suit. There was nothing guarding the chest area but a few metal straps that held her to the suit. The arms also sported the crisscrossing lines while a pair of clawed hands served as the main manipulators.

The _pièce de résistance_ was, or were, the two shields that hung above the suit, prepared to maneuver in any direction around the suit to defend against any projectile it could encounter.

"Ichika did ask me to train him, right Ichika?" She quickly counters, putting the issue to rest. "If I am his teacher, then why is it such a surprise." She allowed herself a quick smile before turning back at Ichika and taking a lower stance. "Ichika, draw your sword! We will begin soon."

Ichika smiled as well as his childhood friend's mood seemed to lighten and complied with her command. His owns suit quickly materialized as well, flooding his brain with information as he levitated a few inches above the sandy ground. He drew his blade, a strange feeling coming over him as soon as the hilt touched his metal fingers. It was as if the hilt itself was surging with electricity as his senses screamed at him to dodge. It was only when a light thud reached his ears that the true measure of the threat before him made itself known.

His mind kicked into overdrive as it was at this time a chunk of his memories surface abruptly, as if it was his reaction to what he just heard. _The Shinonono sword style, an ancient school dating back to the noble samurai, it was one that required a pair of rare and hard-earned disciplines. The first is to use the practitioner's hands, both carrying a weapon at all times and using them with equal ease. This will never allow an enemy to slip through the dual armed defense and will ensure a quick victory with unrelenting power. With this alone, it is possible to achieve the talent for wielding two blades, or the skill to draw, strike, and sheath the sword even before the opponent makes a move._ Ichika's brain fed him the information as his hands pulled on his blade for a haphazard block, only to see that the girl might as well have already struck.

Houki's feet touched the ground; it was only for a second but he was sure it made contact with the relatively solid sand. In a heartbeat, the thrusters roared to life, forcing her form towards him at speeds he couldn't even react to despite the gap between the machine's specs. What he could gather from her blurred form was the fact that her hand was grabbing the hilt and the draw she made while moving was perfect in matter and in form. In the end, it all pointed out one undeniable fact; he would get hit, most definitely.

What was worse was that he had a sinking feeling that the day was just about to go downhill from there.

This is a Page Break

Another stream of light trailed behind both of them as a pair of angels danced around each other, locked in conflict and lighting up the sky in the place of the rapidly setting sun as the noises of battle echoed on into the distance. For a moment, their blades met, a pair of icy blue daggers attempting to push back a large ruby mace with both parties struggling for dominance.

The figures holding the great weapons were clad in majestic armor, defending their wearers with unshakable fortitude while excluding an aura of power and majesty. After a moment, they disengaged, sending air rippling in all directions dispelling the clouds above them as the seas below surged violently.

For a moment they stared each other down, the first one relaxing its limbs in respite while the other prepared its weapon in response. The first was adored in majestic armor, tinted the purest azure while silvery streaks of liquid light coursed through certain parts in its defenses. Its chest plate was simple but elegant, composed by overlapping sheets of fine crystal plates, it reflected the light beautifully while ensuring its wearer's safety.

It's shoulders were well defended but not overly large, crafted with large shards of blue crystals that neither sacrificed defense nor maneuverability. Its arms were lean but possessed an appearance of strength being made of loosely spaced pieces of large crystal plates over a tight knit of cerulean scale mail ending with perfectly sized bracers.

Its legs were made in the same fashion, though with more spiked greaves and spike toed boots, like the vambraces, created purely out of the adamant crystal that so protected it's form.

The second was armored in the same fashion, though it's appearance was more akin to a lord from hell when compared to the diamond noble. Its chest plate was a single piece of matte steel, combining the scale like qualities of a dragon's belly and its fearsome enormity to bring fear in the hearts of all who beheld it.

The shoulders were huge pauldrons made with the appearance akin to strange volcanoes, a concert of malignant curved spikes of varying sizes, each glowing with a vile vermilion light. A pair of crimson gauntlets with the same set of spikes extending to the sides were worn over a molten suit of red armor, flowing and shifting with the movements of the giant.

The greaves it wore had the visage of a pair of horned demons, each spewing fire like a stream of red haze as clawed feet hovered above the disturbed oceans. Unlike the order possessed by its antagonist's defense, molten light flowed uncontrolled on it's armored form, fully possessing the armored giant like a vermilion tide, shifting and changing as it willed.

Though what truly caught the eyes of any and all that beheld the warring beings were the things holding them suspended in the air and allowed them to maneuver in the air with the greatest of ease; the wings on their backs. The first had a frame of gold, bearing several feathers crafted with glistering crystal. It was wrought in the form of the sharper imitation of the wings of angels, producing diamond dust as air bellowed from each feather, keeping it suspended in the darkening skies.

The other had a primary frame craved from the darkest obsidian, in the shape of a set of large straight wedges, fanning out with perfect symmetry. In between each wedge was a torrent of ruby haze, appearing more vicious than flames as it supplied the amount of lift needed to keep the molten golem in flight while giving it the appearance of a savage angel of fire.

The next moment they resumed their clash, the heavy war hammer clashing against a pair of daggers that looked fragile in comparison. The blue warrior redirected the mighty blow downwards before delivering a hail of stabs with its lighter weapons, scoring several direct hits on the juggernaut it fought. The burning golem paid the strikes no heed, opting to raise its mace and deliver a blow that would have shattered the fragile crystals as the blue knight plummeted towards the sea.

As flames erupted from the juggernaut's back to fling it towards the descending knight, the one being chased crashed into the blue abyss, sending a column of water upwards as its form made contact with the liquid. What was not expected was the fact that the water spout flash froze before exploding in a hailstorm of dense ice.

While normally, the ice was of little to no consequence when pitted against the tough armor of the juggernaut, it proved its worth when several blocks met the heavy mace, and flew to the opposite direction instead of shattering outright. A noise reminiscent of a demonic laugh seemed to emanate form the burning juggernaut before the flames from its back intensified, allowing it to weave between the unrelenting storm of hail, evading a majority of the sharp shards of dense ice while using its mace to deflect the rest.

It barely finished the arc of the blow after deflecting the last of the shards when the pair of daggers flashed before it's craggy helm, sparing no moment to remain still as it stabbed straight into the eye holes glowing with vermillion light.

The blow would have been deadly to any normal human as the blades would have buried itself into the brain through the eyes, though the juggernaut felt nothing, riding the momentum in its swing backhand swing to deliver a vicious cross with its unarmed hand, striking the chest of the blue knight and sending it barreling several meters away even with the cold gales lending their aid to slow its forced flight.

With a wave of diamond dust behind it, the blue knight rushed towards its aggressor, sheathing the daggers in their scabbards mounted on its armor before rearing a heavy fist in preparation for a heavy punch. In response, the hammer its aggressor held burned furiously before descending on the blue knight as it closed the distance.

The fire that surrounded the blunt weapon exploded in a violent display of orange and red, before quickly solidifying, transforming the burning gas into a solid prison of ice, emanating from the hammer head now in the firm grasp of a crystal claw. Its partner grabbed the molten helm before a powerful kick connected with the orange plate of the juggernaut, sending him flying.

Now, one had to wonder why these two titans fought, a question quickly resolved as soon as the blue one spoke with a voice brimming with regality though possessing a sharpness that made the highest order of blades appear as dull as simple pond stones.

"Calm yourself, wielder of flame. This is neither the time nor place we should be squabbling like children! All I told you was what I thought you needed to know. I confided in you as a friend, there is no need for these hostilities." The voice that came from the noble crystal helm could never be attributed to a gender. It was the hypnotically enamoring sound of a crystal xylophone and yet the girding of immortal glaciers that scar the earth.

"Silence!" The voice came from the other resounded with the strength of an erupting volcano but still possessed the strange calm of a crackling fire. As with the first, it was not possible to determine the gender though voice alone.

"You dared accuse my lover of infidelity, how could I not go for your throat immediately after hearing such words roll from your silver tongue? You had the unparalleled gall to insinuate that the wielder of wind, my partner for countless tribulations would betray me for another, especially since I'm armed with the knowledge that the last time you broke such news to that last poor fellow, it turned out their significant other was playing under the sheets with you."

"That's a tale for another time, the point is that the one of the wind was with another marginally attractive fellow just this afternoon, I thought it would be best to inform you post haste so you could act accordingly. I would never have dreamed that acting accordingly would entail going after my head the second I managed to stutter the words out." The blue knight protested as it continued to speak about love affairs, as if the battle before had no meaning whatsoever.

"That was just Cyan's sibling you idiot. We just wasted an entire afternoon for naught." the juggernaut hefted its hammer above its shoulder and sighed, just before another spoke.

"I wouldn't say it was nothing, wielder of flames. If anything it just showed me that you're the perfect envoy for my mistress." It was a young girl, clad in a simple white IS suit, though unlike most, it had a helmet that protected her identity.

The leg armor was simplistic but elegant, just plain white greaves probably as smooth as the legs they protected. The greaves were pretty much the same thing, though ending in dainty clawed hands that made it look all the more feminine.

An elegant white armored skirt that resembled the petals of a lily gave added protection to her lower torso while at the same time housed several visible thrusters that undoubtedly helped boost her maneuverability.

The wings floating behind her bore an uncanny resemblance to a sharp boomerang, an arc made by two thin triangles by connecting their smallest side with some sort of sphere.

Though it seemed like an innocent comment, the two immediately disappeared from sight as soon as the first syllable was said, instantly reappearing beside the girl with more malicious intents.

An obsidian hand placed itself on her head from behind with the enough strength and intent to crush it a hundred times over while a pair of clawed fingers held her neck as the knight looked upon her, wondering weather to end it quickly or slow and painfully. After a moment of silence, accompanied with tension so palpable that one could cut it with a knife, the two spoke simultaneously. "If you relish the world in which you live in, or value the ones who would weep if we choose to end your meaningless existence, you will explain to us the reason your master sent you here."

"She has a proposition for the both of you, involving the male pi-pilots." She began with a very even voice. There was no stuttering at the end. Really, it must have been the wind.

"The sibling of Brunhilde is not someone to be trifled with, especially because of his sister, while the second is an unknown that possess no public information that even proves his existence. If she requested both of us, I am assuming, it is to storm place known as practically the most well armed and defended independent state and test their mettle with a death match, correct?" She almost squeaked as their grips tightened ever so slightly, enough for her to feel the frigid claw on her neck while her helmet began to glow a light orange.

In her terror, she could only nod as evenly as possible while the one in front of her looked over her head, presumably at his companion.

"When do we start?"

This is a Page Break

"That, that was the wrong way to handle that situation." Yukito said gently as Ichika let out another one of his exasperated sighs.

It seems that the three way fight, more of a double team massacre if anything, wasn't enough for one day. Ichika had just been confronted by his pair of childhood friends and it all ended with him being cursed by the two of them, one of them left crying while the other wouldn't even look at him as he left the room to try and figure things out.

"How would you interpret that sort of promise if you were in the same situation?" Ichika asked with not a small amount of frustration in his voice.

To be perfectly fair, the boy did have a very bad day while the other just watched the fight unfold while enjoying a light snack. How did he know about the popcorn? Well the intercom was left on so Ichika could hear the light crunching as the battle commenced and as soon as they met face to face once more, he oddly smelled of butter and barbecue, with a slight tinge of soda pop.

"For starters I would tell them the truth of what I think the promise was, which was apparently not the case when you talked to her." Yukito mentioned knowingly while Ichika looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. "Think about it, if you did that then things would have gone much easier, at the very least you would have a girlfriend already, or a wife."

"You are willing to go between two raging girl and try and interpret a promise you made to one as a marriage proposal? We were children, we had no idea how things went with the adults when they dressed up and sat down in a church or shrine or whatever. If I did that then they both wouldn't just ask me to die, they would do the job themselves. At least when I said it that way, the free food offering, it would make sense since I ate at her family's restaurant and all." He said with a sigh as the white haired boy shrugged in response.

"If that's what you think, then that is a very well thought of way to get yourself out of that mess, though you should always ask yourself: what if that was how she interpreted the promise? You'd be surprised how twisted children could be, without regard for social norms or any other rules of the society around them. It has been said that a teenager would think of themselves as invincible then a child would see themselves as gods. And as a child, I saw a girl proposing to another girl as soon as they finished playing; you're a boy, so those feelings could have possibly been carried from childhood and now she's acting upon them and a teenager." He finished as he dawned a pair of glasses for a more refined appearance.

"Really? You try and pull the psychologist look on me?" He asked wearily before slumping on the bed, as if all the strength he had was sapped from him.

"You're right though, she does deserve to know the truth about what I think, no matter how outrageous it might sound at first. Still, I can't help but feel that I would get into even deeper trouble if I bring it out so blatantly. If anything, I'll just ask her to explain it to me so I would definitely get the right answer and fulfill what I agreed on; a man does not go back on his word after all..."

Yukito just shook his head as Ichika apparently drifted to sleep while deciding on what to do. _This will be very chaotic in the future, so it would be best of you were to just rest here for the moment. _His eyes then drifted to his roommate, who was now sound asleep and lightly snoring as a black blindfold covered her face and a pair of earphones trailed just along her cheek before disappearing into the folds of her pajamas.

_Ah, so peaceful, such a shame that what would come to pass must come to pass if we don't want to minimize the amount of variables in play._ He thought with a wry smirk as he took off his blazer and put on a simple shirt and some descent shorts.

He then picked up a pen and scribbled a message to the two captured in sleep's blissful embrace and with another glance at the pair, he closed the lights, and exited the room without so much as a creak.

In the quiet halls, he strolled on like a ghost, with out so much as a sound as his feet touched the ground, walking towards the room of the only other boy with the copy of his key in hand. He knew replicating it behind his back would be but a simple matter, and having a three dimensional printer on hand was never a bad thing.

With a minimal movement, the door opened, the lock giving way without its usual click as the boy entered the now dark room. It was obvious the boy's roommate, Houki, had been slumbering just a short time after Ichika came to him and as such, she was probably already dreaming. As he silently stalked the room, the darkness couldn't help but dull what was left of his waning vision, though with that, the sounds form the darkness grew infinitely louder in his ears, allowing him to hear what should never be heard.

"Nee-san, do-don't leave me..." The girl whimpered in her sleep as Yukito shot up into a rigid stance. He decided to brush it off for a while before slowly creeping into Ichika's bed. He'll act on that tomorrow.

_I wonder how things would go down as soon as everyone wakes up? _The sinister smirk on his face was shrouded in darkness as he drifted to sleep as well, dreaming of chaos and destruction.

**A****N**

***emerges from a mountain of papers***

**Finally done with all that work! Sorry for making all of you wait for that, I was quite literally buried in paper at some point. Senior year is being a total pain and work load and college tests just make it harder. I'll try to update as much as I can but I can't make any promises so please be patient with me. **

**So how did you guys like the latest and arguably hardest chapter I had to write? I tried to put as much original content as I could and though most of my ideas seemed out of place, all will be explained in the future. I always envisioned Houki with a want to reconcile with her sister, and Ichika does always seem tired after arguments so that's how i pulled it off. Also hinted that Ichika isn't as dense as he looks, or a bit denser? **

**Fight of the other two OC, that will be explained later, though i'm sure you guys could guess what exactly they're for. The watcher in the beginning is also a stepping stone for something else I'm working on so just let the mystery be for a bit. **

**Anyway please review and PM me for any problems you guys had with the story, It'll help with the progress plus I could really use suggestions at this point. I'll use your advise if it's good and please me gentle with me. Quick question though, do you guys want to go directly to the tournament or have some of Yukito's past revealed? I did a another small reveal on his relationship with Tabane but nothing big. Just PM me for that since i think polls aren't an accurate way of measuring votes since i just learned people could just go back later. **

**Finally thanks to krimmy2 for helping me out with this one, you guys read his work, it has no OC's as far as I know. Also to the guys who viewed my work even if there was no update yet, sorry again. **

**See Ya! **


	7. Chapter 7

___**CHAPTER SEVEN: The Song of Cold Steel's Clash and Dragon's Fire**_

**__****Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**

___ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

The Shenlong, a power-type machine specializing in dealing heavy damage in the shortest amount of time stood in the middle of the arena as if waiting for the white champion; the dragon's prey. The machine was dyed deep purple with splashes of dark pink and yellow to accentuate it's fearsome features.

It's legs were smooth though tipped with a pair of clawed toes in from and a single anchoring spike behind. The shin area was especially protected with what appeared to be small overlapping plates dyed the darkest purple while a golden spike extended from where the knee should have been.

The arms were a pair of cylinders that widened near the opening and narrowed in the middle, ending in clawed fingers while a lavender arc hung under the limb, connected to the limb by golden spheres that appeared on both sides of the wrist. A pair of sphere-like objects hovered behind her waist, while blade-like pieces of metal extended from below them.

A larger pair hung above her shoulders though these seemed more elaborate and had a shield like plate attached to them, mirroring the visage of a Chinese Dragon. On her head were miniature horns of a dragon, most likely they were sensors shaped that way to add intimidation.

This was the form of the warrior that waited for her unsuspecting foe, her spirit still stirring from the worst and final slight on her ego. No, that wasn't it. To call her angry was an understatement, and to call her enraged would be like calling a dragon just a little lizard. She really wanted to pound the boy's face in for what he did, not that it wasn't like her to overreact to something as small as an insult. She was a woman scorned after all, one let loose against her aggressor at that; she would get her vengeance, that much was certain.

As if on cue, the boy in white launched out of his own pit and with wings outstretched, he made his way to the designated position several meters above the sandy ground. "Ichika, this is your last warning from me." The girl all but smiled sinisterly when the boy came to a complete stop, locking her eyes with his own.

"If you apologize now, then I'll be inclined to go easy on you. The match would end without you being beaten too badly." A cocky grin tugged at the edges of her mouth as she spoke, not unlike a certain British girl.

"This is a battle, Rin, I would be insulted if you didn't come at we with everything you got. We're doing this fair and squarely; that's the condition of our deal." Ichika said with no hint of hesitation and the display of bravado seemed to get the crowd on his side.

His smile mirrored her own when a cheer erupted from the stands of the arena, filling the expanse with no small amount of noise. "Now, don't tell me you've gotten soft since we parted, Rin. Let's settle this now."

"I have no problems with that. Fair warning though, the Absolute Barrier is not perfect. With enough strength, the force of the impact will bleed out and affect the pilot. It is possible to torture the pilot and destroy the suit without killing the pilot, so you can just imagine what I plan to put you through." She threatened when a large blade materialized in her hand.

The weapon itself seemed like an ornate scimitar through the blade was bigger width wise than it should have been. The handle consisted about a fourths of the weapon while the massive blade made up the rest. It was strange that it seemed weightless in her hand as she began to twirl it absentmindedly, as if it was a free action to do so.

Soon enough, the buzzer rang and the two were off, charging at each other with reckless abandon. In a single moment, the distance was closed and heavy dark steel met shining silver in a shower of orange sparks.

The heavy overhead slash Rin attempted to bisect Ichika with was firmly blocked by the diagonal uppercut the boy performed in response, landing them in a fragile deadlock before the aggressor herself chose to break the contest for the moment. With a wave of her arm, Ichika was flung back a few feet as she retreated as well.

"Impressive, not a lot of people manage to block the first strike." She smiled as another identical weapon appeared in her freehand, and began twirling it like a baton. She reveled at the small moment Ichika displayed a hint of fear before he dawned the mask of bravado once more. She now knew he was afraid, and she would use it to press every advantage.

Their blades met again, except this time she was combining heavy blows with a number of quick strikes to keep him on his toes. In response to such an overwhelming amount of pressure, Ichika could do nothing but weather the hail of blows with blocks, deflecting each blow as it passed before watching for the next strike. He fought to survive while she fought to ensure the kill, keeping them in a deadlock until one showed signs of openings, though those openings never came.

Blow after blow and block after block, the two danced in the shower of sparks their weapons made as the clashed, keeping in the staccato beat of the battle as their forms moved from one pose to the next. It looked as if the mesmerizing dance would last until a mistake was made; Ichika over extended when the blow was only minor, forcing him to chose between the classic fight or flight mentality.

The girl paused for a while before showing another one of her cards; she put the ends of her blades together, creating one massive double bladed voulge, before she continued the chase for the boy. The dance was continued since the amount of air displaced by each swing was massive, creating a small sound while they soared through the air.

She kept hounding him while he evaded each and every one of her blows with gusto, not wanting to see what happens when her blade does meet his armor. She would cleave the air vertically, but he would go do the left. She would slash at him horizontally then he descend to escape her. She would even spin to attack in all directions, to which he responds by backing up. Another slash aimed at his chest missed when he chose to push his thrusters to the limit in an attempt to escape the twin blades, one finally rewarded.

Rin's smile widened just a little when Ichika decided to break the beat of the wild dance and put some distance between the two of them; a move she gracefully allowed him to make were it not for the fact he was playing right in her hands.

He turned to see why she stood rooted to her spot, only for a bullet of air to strike him square in the chest, sending him flying a good distance while she managed to suppress a titter as she watched. In moments he crashed into the sands, creating another depression, reminiscent of his last one.

"That much damage? That was just a small jab." She said with mock surprise, her shoulder open as a low hum began to make itself heard. Then, the true power of the weapon she held made itself manifest, in a bullet of invisible air that stuck his body once more, sending him rolling a good distance away and leaving a visible dent on the white suit.

This is a page Break

"What kind of an attack was that?" Houki asked incredulously as she watched Ichika tossed to the ground by an invisible force. She watched in horror as he just moved from his space and slammed into the ground while two explosions rung out from the arena. "How did that even happen?" She screamed again as Maya swiveled her chair to face them.

"That, Shinonono-san, was the work of a Shock Cannon." Maya said with a serious tone and a professional air, something that would rarely come over her.

"It is a piece of offensive equipment that compresses the air at high pressures before quickly emptying the compression area, firing the mass of compressed air like a bullet. It may have a short effective range in practice but in the area of the arena, it might as well have as much range as Alcott-san's energy weapons." She explained quickly before tuning back to the monitors.

"So it is another third generation suit, just like my Blue Tears then?" Cecilia said to no on in particular as the match continued.

Through the screen, they could see Ichika getting up wearily, only to be peppered by another volley of explosions, each as strong as the one that originally downed him. Even without seeing the projectile being aimed or fired, he valiantly attempted to evade, granting him few success but his fair share of direct hits as well. They could already see he pain in his face, and to make it worse even more bad news came.

"It also seems that the weapon can fire a full 360 degrees from the shoulder mounts." Maya said solemnly as another rain of pressurized air struck Ichika, chipping away at his shield reserves while he desperately tried to evade the invisible assault.

"It has no restrictions on the angle of fire and it's aim could change instantaneously. Without the intelligence to predict where the next shot would be coming from assuming it's aimed straight at Orimura-kun in the first place, it's impossible to predict unless we know the aiming method."

"So there's absolutely no opening, Yamada-sensei?" Cecilia asked intelligently while Maya just sighed in response, as if knowing there was made no difference.

"There is, one. Since the cannon's are mounted on the shoulder area, they would naturally have trouble when aiming downwards. That being said, if Orimura-kun were to enter that safe zone and attack from there, it would be possible to pull out a win. But Orimura-kun would still have to face Lingyin-san in hand-to-hand combat, something, if anything we've seen is accurate, frightening in it's own right." Maya explained flawlessly as the morale in the room continued it's steady descent.

As they were conversing about this in the front of the room, Houki was just thinking about Ichika, and how she wished he would just stay safe. She flinched as another rain hit him again, pushing him some distance away while he weaved through the rest. He was getting better, but no where near good enough to hit her, at least no yet. Houki could only hope.

This is a page Break

"Your getting better at dodging them, Ichika." Rin praised him senselessly but sincerely as the continuous hail of attacks peppered the area around him. He was managing to evade most of the invisible projectiles though some still managed to hit home whenever she fired.

"The bullet is invisible and the barrel is non-existent, making it impossible for anyone without proper experience to dodge them. Though I would still win in the end, even if it's through wearing you down slowly but surely, as long I have you groveling by the end."

___This is bad. _Ichika thought as he put all the available energy into the thrusters, allowing him to evade the bullets totally.

___She's right, I'll still lose if I just do nothing but dodge, but what can I do? The shield will do nothing since it's air and the blades will do nothing since I can't get close enough to even touch her. Wait, she's only shooting in the direction she's looking at right? So if that's how she aims it then I just need to get her in a situation where she has more that one target. _He thought before putting his plan into action.

A reckless charge got her in range at a price of a few hits, and with his sword raised over his head, he brought it down as a mighty slash, aiming to cut her from shoulder to waist in one movement. He was easily blocked, though the large weapon was much easier to deal with than a pair that never stood still.

She tried to bisect him from the waist, though a twitch of his hand sent the blade a few inches shy from it's intended target before dealing the same blow she attempted. What the connected polearm had over the sword through was its size and leverage, so using the blow Ichika blocked, it was child's play to push the feeble sword away before responding with an attack of her own.

Again the blades became a blur of silver and purple, bouncing against each other in an upbeat rhythm that could almost be called music were it not for the occasional grunts of their wielders. The blades deflected blow after blow while striking with relentless fervor, resulting in the two being caught in a dance of blades, each one not allowing the other to escape though at the same time keeping themselves as close to the enemy as possible.

They seemed evenly matched at first glance; Ichika with his training in the way of the swords being at par with Rin's masterly of the Chinese martial art concerning twin weaponry, though with a closer look, one would see Ichika was smiling, and it unnerved her.

She could not understand the reason why he smiled, and it unnerved her. He seemed so confident now, so sure that he would come out of their battle as the victor. It seemed that she let the battle drag on for too long, and it was about time someone put him down from that high horse of his, and to do that all she needed to do was break the clash and fire like there was no tomorrow.

And so she did; she broke the battle and put some distance between them, enough that he couldn't get to her even if he would brave the storm of projectiles she had in store for him. But just before she managed to get enough distance between them, something strange occurred. She seemed to have rammed something.

A quick look over her shoulder allowed her to view what she hit, in time for the silver diamond she saw to split into many different parts, each resembling some sort of blade. There were about twelve in total, but with all their potential to cut her to pieces, what scared her most was the substance that once bound them together.

There were 'seams' where the blades were once connected to each other and those small crevices were bathed in azure light. It was that same light that caught her in a net now the blades have been separated from each other; an energy trap. In short, she was stuck between a rock, or a shield in this case, and her childhood friend trying to get her to explain an embarrassing promise. She would be in trouble, that is if she didn't have a contingency plan from the get go.

He thought he had her cornered when he pulled his shield from the shallow grave his body dug for it. He had used it to cushion his fall, it was pure luck the sands obscured its form when he stood back up to initiate his counterattack. He attacked relentlessly, pushing her ever so slightly with each hit until she had no choice but to fight or run.

At first, the former was taken up and they resumed the deadly dance of death with their blades supplying the beat, but he slowly made them out: her openings. He could see them now, as clear as the cloudless sky above him, and he would respond appropriately. Each blow now widened the paper-thin crack in her defenses and slowly but surely, she would make a mistake.

She fled; realizing what would happen if she were to continue the fight, she put some distance between them, most likely to switch to her other weapon and finish him off before any real damage could be dealt. That was the moment he thought it best to use his trump card, the shield he had been training to use and brought out arguably its most useful feature for the world to see.

It divided into its twelve individual blades, but what held them together was a mesh of energy that extended from each of their hilts, forming an elaborate net tailor made to hold against immense forces. It was the perfect weapon for the situation, and with it, Rin had no choice but to face him head on. He was greeted by air to the face.

"I didn't think that would work!" Rin stuttered out before a guffaw escaped her lips while two spheres of air, so immense their presence warped the air in their path, struck Ichika straight in the chest.

Throughout their entire clash, she suspected that something was up the moment he used such a reckless tactic to close the distance. She knew of his history, of how he used to participate in kendo and was good enough to get far enough for professionals in tournaments, so such a move would have been worthless if he didn't have another card up his sleeve. So the entire time she kept her cannons charging, it's air intake valves big enough to gather air though small enough not to be noticed. The tactic paid off.

"Rin." Ichika said with a low whisper as he gestured for his shield to return to him; the flying blades quickly dropping their net of energy before disappearing in a burst of light, before rematerializing on the arm of the white champion. "I'm getting serious now." The words slithered out of his mouth with no hint of venom, arrogance or malice in them as his shield arm came in front of him while his sword was leveled at the opponent.

With nary as sound, the shield came zooming at her, Ichika's powerful thrusters pushing it forward while its sleek form did nothing to impede the comet of white. It only took a moment before they were but a few paces from each other, almost within hacking distance but just barely kept apart.

"Sorry, Ichika, but it just won't matter anymore!" Rin yelled in response while another pair of projectiles warped the very air around them as they made a beeline for the approaching stockade. The mass of air with enough power to tear massive cargo plane apart with a single gust crashed into the shield, which shattered in response to such a violent attack, flinging the bladed shards that formed it in all directions in a two dimensional plane.

She almost missed Ichika as he flew parallel to one of the blades, the weapon itself resembling an oversized kitchen knife's blade with the handle made by a hole behind the edge. She watched him grab it without hesitation before throwing it at the her, clearly not expecting the move from him.

It didn't matter though, as the blade's path was linear and so easily deflected by her heavier weapon, what she didn't expect was another blade, one looking like a blade of a katana straightened and thickened considerably, while possessing the same handle as the first, coming at her from a totally different angle.

She repeated the action from before and flicked the blade away before it could do any harm before looking around to fire on her enemy only to see what had become of her surroundings. What caught her eye first were the swords, all of them just floating peacefully around the arena, even the pair she deflected had stopped moving only to hover in place, unaffected by any external force.

The next thing she noticed was the fact that Ichika maintained a good distance away from her while taking the shortest path to the next blade, one that looked pretty normal save the curve of its blade being too much, before throwing a pair of them at her without as much as a glance in her direction. It was a distraction, all of it an elaborate diversion for something bigger, something she knew she didn't want to stick around for, and so she charged.

The smile on his face was almost radiant as he made a total turn around and reached for her with her empty hand, signaling for her to stop her charged or at least slow down.

That smile only widened as the outstretched hand clenched and a sextet of swords, the first pair being a thin scalene triangle with the edge being the largest side while the handle lined the shortest one, the second being the cleavers, while the third was composed of the katana-like blades, bolted in her direction tip-first in an attempt to skewer her six times over from a variate of directions, a fearsome attack not even she could counter fast enough as the surprise and grief took hold of her, paralyzing her on the spot and sealing her fate.

Then a cataclysmic explosion shook the arena while a bolt of pink death tore through the invisible ceiling of the shield-dome.

This is a Page Break

The day started on a very uninteresting note for Yukito as he stretched his limbs in the darkness, the morning sun not even peaking over the sea as he roused himself from slumber, eager to make the day. He always found it sort of amusing knowing he could sleep for about four hours and wake up feeling fresh as a daisy while others he knew would sleep for a full eight hours but still behave like a hungover bear.

It was in these wee hours of the day that he could do whatever he wanted, though most of his time was eaten up by staring at a screen, or screens is his case, and typing away on a keyboard. The program he was currently working on was not unlike Ichika's own regarding his shield, though factoring in the nature of his own ranged weaponry, he was developing code for a more complex operations requiring advanced knowledge regarding external ballistics.

However, as he stood from his resting place and paced towards one of the twin computers on the desk before him, a piece of information decided to resurface in his mind.

___Right, I knew I forgot to do something yesterday._ He thought to himself as he went straight to the bathroom and took his clothes off, quickly entering the shower for a quick rinse, something he had forgotten to do the day before. ___Wait, why does it smell like girl? Oh right, living in the IS Academy now, there are only two boys in the entire school and someone thought it would be funny separating them._ His thoughts drifted as he continued the small ritual of bathing, turning off the water as soon as all the soap was gone.

With only a towel hiding his decency, he exited the bathroom, to find something he would whack himself over for the next few hours. Before stood a girl with straight brown hair extending to her waist while blue eyes suddenly widened as she realized what she was seeing.

She was dressed in a crumpled and half-removed yukata, probably in that state because of her movements during sleep and the fact she was preparing for her morning shower. She seemed strangely groggy as she stared him down, as if she thought she was still dreaming when she decided to get out of bed, a state of mind slowly fading as the fact hit them both like an anvil from on high. She slowly shook her head, as if to deny what she was seeing while the boy stayed motionless before speaking.

"Right, this is Ichika's room. I knew something was up." Yukito managed to squeeze out before the chaos began.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Houki let out a bloodcurdling cry that could wake the dead as soon as she got her wits about her. With a flourish, a shinai appeared in her hand, the piece of wood hungering for blood as he stared it down. "Let me clarify, you have about five seconds to explain before I start trying to kill you." She said with utter sincerity in every word; it wasn't even a threat anymore, it was a promise stating that no matter what he did in the next five seconds, he was going to be killed.

It passed all to soon and she leapt in for the attack, positioning her sword as if it was sheathed before lashing out with a quick horizontal. It was an unsheathing technique that would have gotten the better of most, Ichika included, if the didn't have the right mindset and reflexes, but Yukito just reached out and grabbed her wrist before the sword could make contact.

At that point, it was a simple matter to use his free hand to quickly strike the back of her hand, causing her do drop the weapon before grabbing it himself and tapping her on the head. It was another trivial matter to push her on the bed with a shove before preparing to use his own sword style by cross the sword in front of his legs, point down.

"Ichika came to my room last night after apparently having an argument with you and Rin. I didn't ask for the specifics, but it as it stood, it seemed to revolve around some strange ambiguous promise he made to a girl in his childhood. He was fell asleep ranting about how much trouble he was in, and since he was already on my bed, I thought it best not to disturb him. I was tired too so I went to his, and your, room to sleep there, so I got his keys and fell asleep here." He explained with as much control and reassurance one could infuse into a voice while Houki looked at him with an irked expression. She seemed to calm down a bit before a wooden sword appeared in her hands from out of nowhere.

"You-you saw me in such a state. Unforgivable!" She started with an overhead swing with the blade this time, fully awake and intent of crushing his head in.

He had heard Ichika's story of her wood-breaking-wood technique, and resolved that blocking such a strike would only result in his being struck, so he sidestepped the blow with a spin, and moved in to disarm her once more. She anticipated the blow this time and with the heavier blade, she bifurcated the shinai from tip to pommel in one fluid slash. It was only by virtue of his reflexes that his hands were spared by the cold unforgiving blade while what was left of the practice weapon unceremoniously clattered on the floor.

"You almost cut my hand, I think that means were about to get serious now, and that you really did plan on killing me. Lets get this over with." He said before he took a formless stance, assuming the position of one who was totally relaxed but at the same time ready to react to any and every threat simultaneously.

Houki held twin swords, one forged of steel while one formed of wood and slashed the air in defiance, before charging in quickly and initiating the attack. Like before, Yukito managed to narrowly dodge all her attacks with minimal movement as she rained them on him quickly, but never using both weapons to strike from two angles simultaneously. In truth, he commended such a display of skill, it showed that she possessed knowledge regarding his this time around, such as his being able to strike her as soon as both weapons were in mid swing.

Overhead slashes were sidestepped while diagonals just met empty air as they danced, horizontals were either leapt over or ducked under while everything in between was just plain evaded with extreme speed. What ended up being his bane in the battle was the fact that he wore nothing but a towel, something that restricted him greatly.

There was a moment when too large a gait forced him to use his hands to support the towel and hide his decency, dodging a steel blade by a hair's breadth as it glided over his own white locks. What did the deed was the wooden block to the crown, knocking him out cold in one strike, and effectively incapacitating him.

But that was hours ago and as noon passed, his stomach got the better of him and roused him into wakefulness. His head was aching and his body was still numb from the clash or whatever measures the woman took to make sure he stayed down for a while as his eyes surveyed the room. Beside his face was a quickly scribbled note, most likely done by his aggressor or his brother-in-arms. Without a thought he read it's contents.

___Yukito, it's Ichika. Chifuyu-nee asked me to check where you were when you didn't come to class this morning. Found you knocked out and tried to wake you up but I just left when it looked like you were in a coma. Chifuyu-nee told me to leave you alone and to tell you that you're excused from classes. PS, Houki says she tried to get you onto the bed several times and failed, just in case you're feeling a bit numb._

"Glad to see you're finally awake." A familiar voice that sounded like the music droplets of water make whenever they struck an icicle said from behind in an almost chipper tone as the boy shifted his gaze from the note the floor to the source of the voice.

What he saw was something he did not expect, it was an androgynous figure that stared down at him with a pair of harlequin green eyes that practically shined in the dim room. Short golden hair sat limply on its head while fringes littered the front of its face, covering most of its forehead while the tips of the spikes almost hid its eyes.

Its nose was barely visible as a high collar hid the rest of its face from the bridge of its nose down, the collar originating from the long but simple royal blue coat it wore loosely further obscuring its body's could be seen were its legs in hidden in navy blue slacks crossed in the fashion not ill suited for the kings and nobles of old. Its arms supported its leaning form as its hands lay open on the bed, lending it an aura of a carefree puppy, despite the danger Yukito knew it posed.

"What are you doing here?" Yukito demanded in a tone unlike his usual composed self. He tried to pull himself up as he glared daggers at the relaxed being before him. "I was there when it happened; Belgium, and the gunfire, it was cold, so cold after the explosion. Your body, it was never found, none of theirs were, hell, there were no signs of life for miles after what happened. The day the fire was snuffed out, ice shattered, lightning grew dark, wind stood still, the earth itself crumbed, the nourishing waters turn to poison, light itself was utterly eradicated and only darkness remained. I used up the final measure, and all was lost soon after! No one could have survived that! All of you should have died that day!"

"You always were a horrible actor, so I guess the information was right when it said you think your the last one standing." It said with a gentle voice after a full minute of silence. The boy it was talking to was distressed, and no one could blame him, he did live with the knowledge that he killed his friends.

"Can't blame you though. It took the last of the energy to keep us alive, much less conscious. Truth is, we're all still here, and now, here now." It said with a voice standing directly on the line between masculinity and femininity while its eyes smiled the entire while. At first Yukito wondered what it meant, a question erased completely as an explosion roared in the distance. "Ah, I guess the show's about to begin now."

"They're here? Now?" Yukito yelled, half in shock before he sighed, standing to his full height, his hand twitching slightly as a hilt-less longsword materialized in his hands. He used both hands to examined the exquisite weapon, its handle simple but elegantly shaped from silver steel while its blade tinted a shade of strange blue, always changing with the light from the azure of the heavens to the darkness of the midnight.

"Why does my past always seem to catch up with me?" He asked with a weary tone as he returned the blue blade.

"History as a penchant for repeating itself when those involved refuse to change their ways and hope for a better outcome. You just kept running after the first incident, now look where it got you. One cannot shatter without leaving another to pick up the pieces, and you have done so around five times, expecting no consequences; and to think you were once the wisest among us."It said before taking the blade by the handle and replacing it into a sheath that was hidden under the folds of its coat.

It then rose to a height just a few inches taller than its companion before proceeding to pat him twice on the head before handing him the remote. "Now then, I think you should turn on the TV over there."

"That explosion was your doing? Hold the phone for one moment, you're telling me that you, accompanied by some from the old order, are attacking the IS Academy, a place known for having some of the worlds most dangerous equipment in its walls while having the most powerful pilot as one of its staff? The only reason I was deemed the wisest was because you all were insane!" Yukito said with an exasperated tone as the eyes of the figure he was berating said it was wearing a smile even wider than before.

With another sigh, he took the remote and switched on the TV, fully expecting to see the battle unfolding. "That's the best you can come up with nowadays, some half-baked unit to kamikaze in from above?"

"No, that was from the one who sent us." It said with the same unreasonably happy tone it used before, though this time, it threw a sleeved hand over his shoulder and extended its other hand. "Just watch with me for a moment here." The fingers on its gloved hand began a slow countdown while Yukito rolled his eyes before complying with such a simple request.

What could possibly happen, right? "Our good friend Hale is finally about to roll a twenty. Honestly, it would have been so much easier to just go in after."

"Your doing this for..." Yukito was cut short by an explosion that soon removed any trace of the first from the air, eclipsing its predecessor a thousand times over. To everyone who heard the god-forsaken sound that hung in the air, the message fate slammed into their faces was clear: The rest of the day was just about to go to hell.

This is a Page Break

A cloud of darkness enveloped a large part of the shielded arena as the sound of the metal plates unfolding to protect the endangered spectators rung fresh in the air. Panic was rampant as the screams of scared schoolgirls penetrated the metal shielding, giving the once lively arena the air of a slaughterhouse where all the occupants were either the scarce executioners or the more abundant victims.

Ichika just had enough time to alter the path of the blades so that none of them hit their mark as the shattering if the barrier was heard, now he simply stood there, meters away from the ominous cloud of smoke and fire, and waited. Somewhere in his head, he knew this was dangerous, just not how dangerous.

"What-what in the world was that, that thing?" Rin practically screamed through the intercom though her voice was laced with anger and disappointment. Ichika had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at her when he realized she still really wanted to kill him for what he said before, so he just remained silent as he stared at the diminishing cloud of black smoke.

He was about to speak, though her shrill cry beat him to the punch, her voice laced this time with genuine worry. "Ichika, the match has been suspended, hurry up and get back into the pit, or whatever! Just run!" She managed to scream out before dense beam of pink energy cut through the mass of black, forcing her to dodge or be incinerated by the energy.

"___Warning. Unidentified intruder detected, arena safety compromised. Secondary shield activating, arena has been sealed." _A mechanical voice said over the intercom while the pair dawned sober expressions.

The situation before them just took a turn for the worse when that thing destroyed the barrier protecting the entire arena. The shield that encapsulated it was akin to the IS in all ways save strength, something the arena shield had more of, and when it was destroyed, something like an absolute barrier activated around the stands while another shield activated to cage them. The only ways to exit were the pits the pilots were to launch from and retreat to after the fight, but the catch was, anyone could use them.

"I told you to run out of here didn't I?" Rin asked while she recovered from the sudden maneuver, her face twisted in a scowl that wouldn't look foreign on Houki's face.

"Get out of here while I buy time!" She saw he was about to retort but her tongue was quicker.

"I'm the stronger between the two of us, remember? Besides, I don't intend to fight this thing alone for long. The teachers should be able to get here before that time and finish this before things get dangerous. I'm strong so don't worry." As if to demonstrate her point, she remained still while a volatile bolt of energy came rocketing towards her, only to offhandedly swing, forcing it to meet the business end of her blades and harmlessly dissipate.

What she didn't notice was the stronger beam that followed behind the first, and as her blades were still connected and in mid-swing, there was no way to evade or counter the blow.

Ichika found himself making a beeline in her direction, catching her before carrying her away from the path of the beam just moments before it would have made contact. With his friend in his arms, there was only one thing appropriate to say at this point. "Don't be so careless Rin, besides, you have enough pink on that suit of yours already."

Before she could react to a sneaky comment he would never say under any other circumstances, she found herself being carried by her childhood friend as they weaved through a flurry of projectiles, each tearing through the cloak of smoke that surrounded their unknown enemy. After several bursts of energy they could see the thing they were up against.

It looked strange, monstrous even with a pair of arms almost as large as the suit itself. Those arms were the wing arts of the IS converted to become weaponry while the arms of the pilot connected to them from below as a method of controlling the device. Each arm housed a pair of holes, most likely as the exit ports of whatever energy beams it was firing like a machinegun. An even larger port was visible on it's gigantic palms, and that was most likely the weapon it used to destroy the arena's shielding.

Its torso was fully covered with armor and almost as large as Yukito's own suit. It stood a menacing height of over two meters tall and very close to three, but it was still a bit short compared to the black giant known as Hakka no Hahen. It was plainly plated, through sets of nozzles were covering it's entire form, giving it a large boost in maneuverability despite its size.

"What are you?" Ichika asked with a note of awe in his voice. This thing was definitely not to be trifled with, but at the same time, it appealed to his senses as an IS engineer. Obviously it did not reply, why would it? It had no reason to establish communications before hand an it looked to be a single unit with but one purpose. ___Its purpose is obviously to..._

"Excuse me!" A random bellow from above snapped him out of his thoughts, though it was but a small squeak to what followed. A titanic explosion rocked the entire arena with the very air convulsing violently at the sheer magnitude of the blast, sending away all traces of particulates in the air and giving everyone a clear view of what was going on.

The shield-dome shattered once more, the cause being a bolt of vermilion as it carved its way through the azure sky, cutting through the shield like it was paper-thin before exploding right on top of the black IS that landed previously, enveloping the area with fierce red light as the echo of the explosion still rung in the ears of all. It took a moment, or an eternity for the radiance to fade from their eyes, but when it did something strode out of the flames.

The Black machine that evaded just in the nick of time, now stood before a behemoth of fire with its very being radiating infernal power that was beyond the shorter of the two. A black fist was quickly raised to smite the larger foe, though as it coursed through the air with the power of a freight train, a clawed hand that burned with crimson light intercepted it and while fully grasping it's wrist, it ripped the disproportionate arm off with startling ease. The black machine staggered back as a heavy claw landed a backhand slap on its fully covered mass before it retaliated with it's other fist, though this time the blow was more evaded than countered.

"Is this it?" The red giant mocked with a voice better suited to belong to a little girl while it nimbly dodged the one armed assault, quickly stepping back as the black machine gave chase. "I take one of your arms of and you're practically useless, and to think you are supposed to be one of the most powerful superweapons to date."

An eerily charming laugh echoed amidst the light footsteps of the dueling pair as Ichika and Rin could do nothing more than stare at the scene unfolding. It just seemed surreal how the first to arrive shattered the shield with contemptuous ease only for the second to do so more extravagantly before proceeding to beat the first without even trying.

"I'm tired of all this senselessness, and I'm tired of playing with you." She said as the black fist was once again caught in her hand, though this time, it was crushed beyond recognition. The clawed hand began to glow once more while the metal it touched bubbled slowly. It was almost unnoticeable at first, but as the hand continued to squeeze the clenched fist, the metal began to drip down; the fist was beginning to melt.

Oh the silent black one began to panic, pulling on its arm in a pathetic attempt to break free only to find out that the more it struggled, the faster the dripping became. Then the claw hand struck, once. The next moment, the black machine stood still, with an arm running all the way through it as it grasped a golden cube that seemed to thrum with power. With a deft movement, the arm was removed from the battered frame, just before it abruptly shattered.

"Now," The girl wearing armor definitely much too big for her began with a voice that could have been soaked in honey with all the sweetness it contained. "Who's next on the list?" She asked no one in particular as the demonic looking helmet surveyed the hellish area.

The glowing orbs that would have been its eyes stopped at the pair hovering above her before she raised an arm to gesture for them to come closer, a gargantuan mace materializing in her free left hand while her right twitched a waged a finger towards herself.

"What do we do?" Ichika whispered to his companion, both of them much to terrified to act without the other's consent at this point.

No one would blame them; they just saw a machine forcefully remove the still-running core of an IS only to destroy the empty shell the remained. The ease at which the mysterious pilot did the deed was also something look out for as she did not bring out a weapon of any kind and just proceed to rip it limb from limb before tearing it's heart out and pulverizing what was left.

Rin was too traumatized to use words in response. Being trained to believe in her own strength as one of the IS pilots of China, she through nothing save another IS could even pose as a threat against her and it would take a very skilled pilot to even defeat her in the right circumstances.

But was she faced was a monster, a, a ___thing_ that was able to make short work of what would usually defeat her if it had one clean shot! Her perception of what strength is was completely broken and in the face of such overwhelming power, she did the most human thing possible. She panicked, firing off a storm of shots at the foe with surprising accuracy.

"Excellent." That was the single word that rung from the giant's helmet before fire began dancing around her armored form, creating a localized inferno around her acting as a shield as the bullets of air merely served to fan the flames.

"Fire consumes air, little hatching, breathing on it will only serve to make me stronger. Now things would be a bit more interesting if you would ___try _to put up a fight." If one would peer into the darkness of the molten helmet hard enough, one would swear that an innocent grin would be visible before it was hidden from sight by a tide of flame that swept the area, born from the shield that once protected her, reaching the two as they struggled to escape it's grasp.

It was thanks Ichika's quick thinking that they were able to evade the blast of flame, albeit it was by a very narrow margin, but that was just the beginning of his problems. He had been analyzing what they had seen a few minutes ago and he formed more than one conclusion.

The first was that it apparently wielded power enough to melt the suit ___through_ the suit's energy shield. The second, and the more frightening of the two, was it looked as if she didn't take them seriously enough to use her full power. She just stood in the center of the arena, watching them as they ran before bolts of flame separated from the glowing spires on her shoulders and arm before being hurtled towards them at an astounding speed.

As if that wasn't enough, fate thought it time most opportune time to allow a message to price the complete lock-down that affected the entire arena. "Orimura-kun, Huang-san, leave the arena immediately! The teachers will use their IS to suppress her! She's too far out of your league, please retreat before any of you get hurt!" Maya said through the intercom though only her voice managed to reach the pair.

He was thankful for the fact that no one could see him cradling Rin, it would have been weird if anyone saw them in such a position, especial if the one who witnessed it was his sister, or worse, Yukito. He had a strange feeling that he jinxed it just by thinking that. He would have to stop tempting fate.

___No time to think about something like that now_. He thought wearily before he answered with a strangely composed and confident voice, while performing insane turns and the most complex maneuvers he could confidently pull off to dodge the burning substance following him.

"Sensei, we'll hold her off for now, at least until the teaches get here. She managed to shatter the shield and melt the IS that interrupted our battle, she would make short work of the students behind those shields if we let her do as she pleases." He said as the tongs of fire seemed to stop their relentless pursuit. He spared her an offhanded glance to see both her arms lowered, and her attention focused solely on the core she held.

"You're alright with that, right Rin?" He asked with a small smirk as he looked to the one he carried, who seemed fuming by the looks of her beet red face.

"Who do you think you're talking to you idiot? I'm the Representative Candidate of China, I won't back down from a fight if I can take, but-but let me go first, you idiot!" She yelled as her crimson visage looked up at him. He knew he was in hot water now so he through it best to toss her out of his arms while rearming himself with his sword.

"Please, Orimura-kun, Huang-san, you can't! If a student gets hurt in combat then-" Ichika turned off the intercom as soon as an obscenely large wave of fire just sailed past them.

"I changed my mind, I thought you two would be more fun than a pair of running mice but I was wrong, again." The giant said with an innocent tone before sighing deeply. "Well at least I can get some decent exercise in."

Those were the last words that exited her mouth before she barreled towards them at speeds that should have eluded her monstrous form. They bolted in separate directions as the weapon descended in between the area they once stood with power that tore the air asunder.

With a single swing of the molten crystal mace, the very air around them burned with hellish wrath as they struggled to evade the wide area that was affected by the blistering heat. It felt like they had just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire as the light tingle of the heat could be felt on their skin, despite the presence of the shield that protected them.

"You seem excited!" Rin cried out in defiance as the twin blades restarted their staccato beat as they struck the shaft of the massive war hammer, the giant dextrously twirling it in between her fingers to block the storm of incoming blows.

Strikes to the chest were easily deflected while ones aimed at the head were rendered useless, as the fight dragged on, Rin's blows gaining more speed as the force blocking them overpowered the one that sent them in the first place. She decided to split the blades once more and opened with a diagonal from below, only for the head of the massive hammer to meet the exact center of the large scimitar.

She anticipated this and capitalized, slashing from above while the weapon of the enemy was below, only to find the enemy's wrist twisted in response, sending the shaft of the hammer against the edge of the blade. She would have had time to deliver a crosscut horizontally, if the hammer didn't land a blow on the center of her chest, flinging her a good distance away while the giant levered a massive hand against her.

"I won't let you!" Ichika cried from behind the red foe before it turned and seemed to smile with her eyes, which now seemed more human than before, glowing with a mesmerizing amber hue. It was all too late when Ichika realized what was about to happen and caught in his own move, he was nothing more than a steadily growing target for the torrent of fire that was converging against him. He let out a wordless scream as the inferno encapsulated him fully, along with a large portion of the arena as the cone of fire continued on its path.

"You won't let me?" She asked with no small measure of pride in her voice before a disgustingly innocent laugh overpowered the roaring flames burnt as they themselves out, revealing an armor of ash-covered metal covering a boy laying in a pit of glass, created by the recalescent flame when it touched the sands.

"Don't make me laugh; the mere prospect of one like you ordering me around? You know nothing of who you look down on." A wave of fire erupted from her mace before she swung at the air, sending down a massive pillar of golden flame upon him as he braced his shield for impact, leaving the same tainted black on the once wondrous silver. "The sun was molded after my right hand and my hammer strikes at the forge of creation. You think that with such a pathetic machine you would stand on equal ground with a god? You know nothing of my power, now just lay there and burn."

A great flash of light made sure that all who looked on through their own eyes were blinded, and all who watched through the eyes of another saw nothing but white.

This is a Page Break

"Orimura-kun, Huang-san?" Maya was now yelling frantically as soon as the screen went white. Well not totally white, the lens of the high-powered camera, an object made to withstand any temperature below 30,000 degrees Celsius, was beginning to char if not melt outright.

One could only imagine the temperature inside the arena, it's metal walls turning the rooms and halls into furnaces that would cook all inside to a crisp if not for the emergency atmospheric conditioning units. What then could have been happening in the arena?

"The boy wants to fight and the more experienced of the two has no qualms with that. I see no reason to worry, we'll just go with it." Chifuyu said in a strangely relaxed voice, despite the very real possibility here brother was literally melting inside the dome of white. The tone she used definitely didn't go unnoticed.

"How-how can you say such a thing so casually, Orimura-sensei?" Maya subconsciously raised her voice against the woman that could bring the world of IS to it's knees, something no mortal would dare do. "They could be dying in there! Shield was shattered, ___twice, _and now the walls are burning! How can you be so calm at a time like this?"

"Calm down, Maya." Chifuyu said with as much reassurance she could squeeze into her voice while gently placing a hand on the other's trembling shoulder. She continued as soon as the younger looked up at her with worried eyes.

"You just need a bit of sugar to calm your nerves, that's all. Here have some coffee." She gently led the younger woman to the table and poured a cup herself and her companion. It was in the middle of the procedure that the green-haired woman decided to interject with something, interesting.

"Um, Orimura-sensei, that's salt you're putting in your coffee." Maya said with a more level tone, much more worried she would burst laughing than raising her voice.

It took a quick glance for Chifuyu to confirm what her junior had told her, after which she looked at the spoonful of salt in her hand and gingerly returned it to the container. "What's this doing here? I'm sure no one puts salt in their coffee these days?" She asked herself, catching herself before she could scratch the back of her head in embarrassment.

"I don't know Orimura-sensei, but the label on the container makes it perfectly clear that there's salt in it." She said as she pointed at the large block letters that spelled the word "salt". An awkward silence pressed on in the room, though for some strange reason, Maya took it as a sign that she should continue.

"Oh I get it! You must be worried about your brother, no wonder you made such a mistake. That's okay, Orimura-sensei, no one is blaming you." She added while striking her left palm with her right fist, her face lighting up as soon as the realization hit her.

"Yamada-sensei, why don't you drink you're coffee?" Chifuyu asked with a fake smile before lifting the cup to force the content's down Maya's throat. "It's hot so just drink it down quickly okay? Bottoms up." The latter could only accept the strange liquid while the other two in the room looked intently into the white. It was lucky someone interrupted soon after.

"Sensei, please allow me to assist them. I can deploy my unit right away!" Cecilia cried in desperation as the two teacher finally stopped their fooling around.

"That would have been an option if it weren't for those values over there." Chifuyu pointed at the displays that were projected in front for all in the room to see. Those were the values of the arena and more importantly, its status as a whole. Those simple numbers and letters were enough to make anyone offer a prayer to those caught in the damning light.

"The deflector shields are set to level 4, and all the doors are locked? Just what did that IS do?" Cecilia vehemently groaned as she saw the undisguised hopelessness in the situation.

"Oh we would be lucky if that's all it did. Not only did the hacker seal the arena, making it inaccessible from either outside or inside, they had the audacity, the unbridled gall to send this message to us." Chifuyu said with a snarl as she gestured at Maya. After a few moments of tense silence, a recording could be heard playing over the PA system in the room.

"___Hello, whoever is in the control room! What do you mean they cant see me waving? Oh it's just a sound recording, so they can't see this?" _The sound of a few items shattering and several loud thuds striking the floor echoed from the speakers before whoever sent the recording continued to speak. ___"Wait, this is the time I have to act intimidating now isn't it? Okay then." _

More strange noises came before a voice with an elegant and controlled alto spoke."___To the IS Academy, You do not need to know who we are or what we want, all you need to know is that we are here, and we will annihilate you. You have seen what a single one of our machines could do to a group of IS suits and you have come to know only a fraction of the knowledge we posses, such as the three s... Wait how did you even get this information? You went in there and did that? But that's just wrong, you massive..."_

Chifuyu decided to cut the message short before the faces of the other three in the room could get even redder, their expressions brimming with unadulterated unbelief. She would have looked unshaken by the message herself if her shoulders weren't trembling ever so slightly; though if it was due to the fact she was suppressing the urge to roll on the floor and laugh or go on a screaming rampage to find the person who stole the information, one would never know. The others were not faring any better, all still paralyzed by the message.

"if whoever hacked the mainframe could do that, then why don't we request support from the government? Surely the several officials observing saw what is happening, why not declare a state of emergency and send in the troops?" The blonde asked while the teacher just shook her head in response, as if tired of all the pointless arguing.

"We already did Alcott, and the seniors are on the case as we speak. The hacker was skilled enough to make sure that it would take a while for us to break through, but only three people in the world can make a code strong enough to stand against several of the worlds best computers. After the control of the arena is returned to us, we will send them in for the ___kill_." She said without hesitation, putting a dreadfully large amount of emphasis on the last word to make sure her message was clear.

The IS Academy will not be trifled with.

"All we can do now is wait then." Cecilia said with a sigh, her shoulders drooping in hopelessness before Chifuyu let out a playful huff.

"You're talking like you're one of the people about to storm the field." Chifuyu said with a lighthearted smirk before patting her on the head, exactly so she would feel like a child."We wouldn't send you out there into the fray, so don't worry. It was a mistake to let those two stay and fight instead of run, I don't thing that red brat would harm any innocents."

"Are you saying I would be useless here?" Cecilia all but screamed at the teacher whose smirk only grew wider after each passing moment. In a minute, the tension was palpable enough to cut with a knife, and as Maya turned around she saw a student ready commit murder and probably would have if her would be victim wasn't the undisputed strongest.

"Yes, you are. You have never participated in group exercises despite your suit's potential as a one-on-one machine. It is suitable to combat any amount of enemies, though out of habit, friendly fire might ensue. If your sure you can prove me wrong, answer a few of these then. Have you done any combined training before? What was the mission? How do you use a long range weapon and your drones? What's the setup of the enemy? What was the level of the enemy? How long was the operation duration? Was the mission completed?"

"Okay, that's enough, Orimura-sensei, I understand!" The blonde cried in exasperation to interrupt the one hour lecture the teacher was about to give, before sighing at her own incompetence. "If only I was a bit better at teamwork, give me a break." The teacher seemed to smile with satisfaction in response before looking back at the monitors.

If one would look closely, they would see the apprehension in her face, though Cecilia, due to her proximity, saw something else entirely. It was short, not even long enough to be considered a movement when a random spasm caused her face to twitch towards the wall behind them.

She didn't know if it was an accident or something done to point her in the right direction, but the curiosity innate in humans got the better of her. It was when she turned around that her eyes widened in dubiety while a small smile tugged at her lips.

This is a Page Break

"Hale missed." Yukito said with a knowing smile while the figure talking to him shout him a mischievous look. "Good planing, really, this operation is almost flawless. You send Hale to come in a beat that drone down after it showcases strength enough to shatter the deflector shields of the arena. You then hack the mainframe of the arena to trap them inside, while leaving a hole in the programing? Its an exit, straight from the control room and leading to the pits and a fire exit." He raised an eyebrow at the figure who just chuckled in response.

"Yes, we just allowed one of the worlds strongest pilots a chance to escape, or the chance to equip on of the IS suits in the hangar bays and join in the fight. Does that disturb you in any way? Are you beginning to doubt me now? Do you think such an obvious blunder, such a glaring flaw could possibly mere callous forgetfulness?" It asked with a beguiling tone, and what was visible of its face clearly showed it knew more than it let on.

It opened its hand once more to reveal a pair of die, well not really dice seeing as the objects looked more like golf balls with numbers etched into the flat surfaces and glowing with cold light. "But then, it's all just a game of chance in the end, one just has to know who Lady Luck favors."

"She has faith in him then." Yukito concluded with a smirk as they continued to walk down the empty hallway, all the other students trying to break through the arena the person beside him converted into a death trap.

"She trusts his judgment to be flawless, as it needs to be when facing 200 possibilities, and so she will make no move in this game of yours. That particular hole is set to be open for a limited time before it closes, which means you plan for the other two to enter the fray, one as backup while the other most likely as a distraction." He said before planting both feet firmly into the ground and looking back up at his companion.

"Then, as they come to assist him, Hale will crush them without mercy. Ichika will panic, struggle to get up to save them while Rin does everything in her power to help, only for them to follow after once you come and put them in their place. All in all it's a tragedy, one with an end that would leave the world haunted as the watch it unfold."

"Yes it will, that is if I ever get out of here in time for my part." The figure chucked as it was Yukito's turn to look mildly surprised, shooting an inquisitive look at the speaker before his eyes widened ever so slowly in realization. "You should go. I alone am the playwright, and the only way this happens right is if I fight her alone. Or I use code B, your choice."

"Code B, really? You can't be serious." Yukito asked as the figure quickly opened the long coat that concealed any and all identifying features kept from prying eyes in response. At the sight of what lay behind the collar, his countenance faltered, showing a very slight bit of fear as he spoke with a higher pitch. "This is Code B we're talking about, you wouldn't."

First the high collar was loosened and opened exposing a small sly smile that was dripping with confidence as a crystal necklace hung on a silver chain around a strong but lean neck. A tight fitting shirt tinted cool celeste covered a broad chest while a pair of simple knives were held to the waist by leather straps. The boy's smile only widened as he reached out his hand and grasped the air, clutching the hilt of his blue straight sword as it materialized.

In an instant the surrounding air felt heavier. Steam began to flow from their mouths and noses while it looked like frost took its first steps, creeping over the walls and floor at a frightening rate. While the entire hallway looked like it was cut out from time and thrust back into the last ice age, the blade began to glow donning a shade of warm turquoise not unlike burning plasma that incinerates all it touches.

"Oh, aren't I? I'm Abbadon, remember?" He asked with an absolutely frosty smile while the room temperature suddenly took and even steeper dip at the mention of his name. Yukito was already shivering ever so slightly while the proclaimed Abbadon simply shrugged it off as nothing and stood with the regality that befitted his name.

"The guy with the word 'bad' smack dab in the middle of his name? The angel of the cold abyss in which no light ever enters or escapes, rendering it a cold wasteland where I reign supreme? The one who would send pain and devastation to the entire world, causing men to cry out for death only for me to prolong their miserable existences with suffering and even more unspeakable horrors, not because it is written but for the fun of it? The guy who is really dying to see whether this thing actually works if only women are in the room? Yes, my friend, I will play it." He then held up a box, as Yukito shuddered.

"Fine, fine. Just hand over my medicine and I'll be on my way." Yukito said with a playful smirk as he gratefully received a set of syringes encased in a transparent case before turning his back to him and taking a few steps.

"Oh and one more thing, Don, don't hurt her to much." He said before sharking his head and mumbling curses at himself. They both knew exactly what was coming and as Don turned to face Yukito, the golden-haired boy was met with nothing but a gust of air being drawn into the quickly emptied space.

"Interesting, he's finally using his speed again, no wonder he needed those shots." Don said to himself before gliding across the surface of the ice, quickly passing three corridors before dramatically stopping at the third.

With an effortless movement, icy crystals became airborne and prismatic light seemed to surround his form, just before he turned the corner and smiled at the one waiting for him. "And as for your warning my friend; you have no need to worry, I'm a nice guy after all." His free right hand reached out. "Care to dance, miss?"

Farther along the freezing corridor, the student council president stood a with a radiant grin on her lips, though her expression bore a strange resemblance to a demon teacher. "It didn't work? My IS should be the best when it comes to indoor battles." She said playfully, like a cat teasing a mouse before feasting on the rodent.

"Full marks!" A fan that suddenly appeared in her hands, opening to reveal the word, 'congratulations' written on it. "That's what it does, isn't it, stealing the energy in the air? Taking all energy, movement and therefore heat, from the molecule itself and a vast area around it, only to use that same energy to continue the cycle. The end result is not a large production of energy, but a theoretically infinite cycle of heat absorption."

"All this is done though that sword of yours, then I just have to break it." She said with a smile before her stance seemed to relax a little bit, confirming the fact she was ready for a scuffle.

"Come and try, miss president, but let me warn you..." His open coat seemed to flare while an arctic chill slowly began flowing from behind him, forming a gentle breeze that carried the frost everywhere, spreading it like a virus until the entire area was covered in ice.

Even the mischievous smile on her face began to shift ever so slightly when exposed to such a dreaded chill, a chill others have experienced when faced with a supposed ghost; the chill felt when nothing but emptiness dwells within; the chill of death, and what lies after.

"Unlike my friend outside, I don't play with chance." The smile on his face could only be described as illuminating before he swung his sword, sending a razor thin crescent at the grinning girl.

This is a Page Break

Another crater was dug when Ichika hit the ground once more, Rin quickly following afterward as the red figure ominously loomed above them, though even if no one could see the expression behind the helmet, it was clear the pilot was unhappy.

She looked around at the barrier that separated them and the outside world, now converted into a dome shining with enough intensity to temporarily blind a man. Even as the barrier sapped at her energy levels, she still found it quite easy to wipe the floor with the two, figuratively and literally as proven by the deep gouges than now littered the arena grounds.

She perfectly summed up what she felt if a single sentence. "I'm bored."

Ichika just managed to look at her incredulously as he got back up for the umpteenth time. He had long since lost count of how many times he had fallen, but with each fall, he gained knowledge.

___Okay, time to review. _He thought as he took to the air once more, his blades still hanging in mid air from the last time they tried to skewer the giant and failed. ___She can manipulate the ambient temperature at a large scale or throw fire that could actually hurt the pilot as well as drain the shields like it costs nothing, though after the fire has been flung, it basically flies like a bullet. The hammer seems to be an amplifier for this effect, though the exact method of her doing so or it acting as such is unknown._

He evaded another hail of fire as he saw Rin approaching from the other direction with the extended vision of the suit, doing his best serve as a distraction as Rin attempted to get their enemy from behind with her blade or her cannons. It was an act of futility however, as a giant wave of fire erupted into existence, flying at an angle that would miss his childhood friend entirely while blocking her projectiles before they could come close to connecting.

From behind the bellowing flames, the figure emerged with hammer raised, catching Rin by surprise before swinging. The head of the hammer missed by a few inches as a blade made a beeline for the shaft of the great weapon, redirecting the attack as well as giving Rin the opportunity to strike back. She swung with her blades to try and land a crosscut on the crimson breastplate, though the blades were met with a bladed arm, locking both them into the spaces between the curved hooks before the hammer was raised once more, ready to render infernal judgment of the more experienced of the two.

"Just kidding." Hale's cheerfully bright voice rang out before she chuckled, right as her body twisted, the hammer following in a large ark poised to strike the boy who picked the perfect time to try for a sneak attack and was approaching rapidly from behind her.

She turned and with her body the hammer followed, though the target she sought was not the boy himself, but another one of his blades as it made a beeline for her chest. With a mighty smash, the weapon was sent hurtling to the ground while the rest of her body continued to turn, placing Rin right in the path of Ichika's blade. It seemed to take all of his will power to stay his blade just before it struck his partner, though that earned them a good shove.

___The enemy suit seems to be physically stronger than Rin's and her ranged ability is far superior. Her reaction time is also above average though she lags from time to time, meaning she has been predicting several of our attacks before they even happened. The only way to defeat her then is with extreme speed that she would not be able to react even if she predicts it or an attack she would never be able to predict. _He thought before turning to Rin, who was even more frustrated than she was a several minutes ago.

"Rin, the next attack will have to hit." He said with a hint of desperation as he took a glance at his shield points, originally 600 now only a tenth of that.

"So when I say so, just fire your impact cannons at maximum power." All she did was nod in response as her cannons opened to accommodate as much air as possible. All that could be heard from the opposing party was a charming laugh as soon as the cannons on her shoulders started glowing. The charging seemed to quicken as the foe spoke indignantly.

"This is your great plan? Really? I expected better from the brother of Brunhilde and a Representative Candidate." Her voice then turned uncharacteristically sober as her stance shifted, pointing the hammer at them as if she wielded as spear.

"Okay then, if this is your all or nothing attack then I might as well respond in kind." Just as those words left her mouth, the plumes of flame that perpetually flowed from her back seemed to intensify as her hammer disappeared from her grasp.

In it's place was a simple spear, it's bladed head molded into the likeness of a brutal barbed blade that wouldn't look out of place in hell's most treacherous torture chamber. "Come and try, little boy."

"Now." Ichika responded in his own quiet voice as the air warped beside him.

The impact cannons had been fired, and the air that emerged was pressurized to such an extent that it greatly resembled a bullet as the cannons unleashed it's power. The boy only had a single moment to act, giving all power to his thrusters so he may intercept the torrent of air that was leaving the cannons.

He could here Rin berate him while the air struck his back, further increasing his speed as he stared right into the eyes of the enemy. He could almost here the three things Yukito told him to do to perfect the maneuver he would execute.

___Never let the opponent know what exactly you're planning. If you can, let them think that your goal is to evade them before pulling them into the trap._

Ichika waved his free hand outward as he charged, signaling the blades to rise from their shallow graves in the sands before darting towards the red giant, one by one. With an arrogant guffaw, the red giant stopped and lifted her spear to knock the blade away as it gained speed, only for the katana-like weapon to miss the tip of her polearm by a hair's breadth.

She turned to block Yukihira's deadly strike as her eyes followed the blade's path, ending at where Ichika stood confidently with two blades in hand before they assaulted the shaft. Ichika disengaged, though only to allow another one of his swords flank her, prompting her to deflect the weapon before it evaded the deadly ark and stopped in his hands.

Again she had turned to confront the boy when two blades assaulted her form, this time defending with the use of range as the long spear limited Ichika own attacks before another pair came hurtling towards her. She evaded with a flip as the blades skewered the air she once stood in before stabbing at Ichika with the barbed blade, though the boy evaded with an effortless spin, just in time for another pair of blades to emerge from behind.

She would not be denied another time, striking both blades, sending them skyward before facing the young boy with a look of rage, if the way her eyes were glowing was of any indication. All he let surface was a smug smirk before sending the last of his blades at her, each striking from the four corners, rendering her vulnerable if she dodged; something she figured out as she kept staring at the boy while the blades passed harmlessly around her.

"It was a ruse, it was all just a ruse and now I'm in your little trap. Admirable." Those were the last words that exited her invisible mouth before an azure blade cleaved through her armor from behind her, Ichika pushing the blade down mercilessly as he remembered the second step to the ploy.

___In combat, there are a quite a few decisions you will have to make, first and foremost is this. Fear is a choice one must take willingly or not at all, and the rest depends of how you answer the first._

He had resolved to shut everything out as his blade cut through the thick armor like it was made of nothing but paper, though as he reached the end of the arc, the giant still stood before him, adamantly refusing to fall.

"Though apparently not enough." A voice said before him before a heavy foot stuck at his chest with enough force to compress a freight train. Several times his body struck the arena floor though several more did his body bounce off from the sands before imbedding itself in one of the concrete walls, leaving behind a visible imprint. He let out a groan as the giant began to pace toward him, her stance one of a conquering emperor or a victor in a thousand battles.

"Your shield is masterfully crafted; being able to compress the functions of multiple swords or blades for attack, a net for ensnaring prey, a series of thrusters to drastically improve your already impressive speed and maneuverability and of course a shield. Your planning was almost flawless, using the air of the impact cannons to help accelerate yourself to guiding me to a location where you could easily pin me down and attack from behind."

She stopped right above him before impaling the wall just inches away from his head, just to highlight how easily she could have ended him without a fuss."Even when using other variables, you made yourself a worthy opponent. Using your partner to pepper me with strikes, even if fighting you made her worry a bit, and preparing an alternative just in case you did fail to beat me with that particular move, both strategies were commendable though futile in the end."

"I think you should reevaluate your statement, Ojou-san." Ichika begun with a small smile as Hale tugged at the spear and ripped it out of the wall. "I think I am the victor of this game."

His hand moved quickly as she pulled the spear free, moving just as the window of opportunity opened. She had used more than enough strength to drive the spear in, and when pulling it out, she moved her other hand closer to him.

His entire plan rested on that moment, that moment when the hand that held the stolen core moved closer to him, that was when he would snatch it back and hopefully, he would be proven right for once. That moment passed, and in a blink of an eye, the boy was in the center of the arena, with his prize.

"I figured it out about an hour ago, when you threw flames out of your right hand while holding this." He began, staring at the core of the fallen machine that arrived before his current foe.

"I was always wondering how anything could be that powerful, then it occurred to me; you never let this go. Even with a weapon made for two hands, you insisted on wielding it with one while holding this in the other. Why else would you be holding on to it if not to use it when you could have easily stored it away?" He finally looked up at her to reveal a genuine smile before a subtle nod shook his head.

It was after a full five seconds of silence when Ichika began to panic inwardly. He had been planing with Cecilia ever since she told him they had found a way out of the control room. He would have asked his sister for help though as it turned out, the open door locked as soon as the blonde exited; he wasn't complaining though since having an ally accustomed to long ranged combat was for the best in this situation.

"I don't think hiding your anxiety would help you Orimura-kun, if anything you just look silly at the moment." A voice helpfully suggested through the intercom as Hale laughed, his source of amusement being the expression etched on the face of the boy she battled.

"Cutting it a bit close don't you think, Abbadon?" Hale said with a chuckle before lowering the bright barrier that protected the arena from view with a curt gesture, allowing Ichika to fully take in what he saw on the edge of the stands.

Standing there was Cecilia, his support as soon as he managed to pull down the blinding field with his sword, but what surprised him was the large suit beside her, resembling an elegant crystalline angel as it held a Bit in its right hand and a blade in its left, pointed straight at Cecilia's neck so if she so much as moved, it would be the end of her.

What shocked him more was that the Bit he was examining was encased in a prison of solid ice together with the other six that still hung on her body and the massive riffle that uselessly littered the ground. The ice refused to melt, despite the heat.

"Shut up and prepare for departure. We have what we came for and I uncovered some information that's sure to be useful in the future." The angel said with an enamoring voice as the blade inched closer towards Cecilia's neck, a flash of faint light flickering as the blade stroked the smooth skin of the girl.

"Before I forget, tell the boy that if he does anything that could be interpreted as trying to save this one, or stop as from leaving, she will die, along with that one over there." He said with a tone that garnered respect and fear as he pointed to the pit he originally came from.

He thought he couldn't get any more surprised when he saw a Representative Candidate on the business end of a massive broadsword while all her weapons lay uselessly beside her encapsulated by pure crystal. He cursed himself for tempting fate, openly gawking at what lay on the runway

. It was a girl with long brown hair surrounded by several crystal rings while bars extended from the rings, binding her limbs in place with tens of crystal pillars. he would have been relieved if was all that he saw, though the ornate snare needed a hazard since all that held her was the trigger. The kicker came in the form of massive crystals, easily several tones in mass, that hung above her, threatening to fall if even one of the rings were to break the alignment, or if the trap master was to will it to fall.

"It's been fun boy, but I think it's time I stop bluffing." She would have probably smiled if her face had been visible as the tip of the barbed blade was leveled against him. The brutal blade began to glow a menacing vermilion as the flames that flowed behind her began to coalesce around the shaft of the spear.

The mass of fire seemed much smaller than anything else he had seen come out of the red giant, though something at the back of his mind demanded that this single attack had the potential to level the building they were in if he wasn't careful. "I might as well give you my name before we go. Remember that Aziraphale did this."

After she said those words, the spear unleashed a torrent of fire that consumed the entirety of the arena, going as far as to scorch the stands and the four pits of the building while the crystalline angel raised a hand in defiance. That was all he saw before he charged, confronting the brunt of the blast with the blades on his back and the sword of his sister in his hands. It wasn't long before he saw no more, his body loosing all feeling as the world around him burned before fading into darkness.

Though a single statement reached his ears before nothingness embraced him.

"Oh my, I think I over did it."

**AN**

**I have a beta, finally, kudos to you Triplesquidge for helping me out, he's got stories of his own so check that out. He's one of the reasons this thing got out quickly and not in two weeks time. The other guy who helped me here is my unofficial corroborator krimmy2, though his omake chapter, seriously bro, has nothing from me. Now everyone say, "Thank you, Krimmy2 and Triplesquidge!"**

**As for the story itself, I found it hard to pick between the fight of our favorite dense idiot and a bit more on our OC's past so I decided to mix them up and see how you guys receive it. Yes that was what the other two form the last chapter were for, and I'm pretty sure that a machine with two cores would be able to cause so much damage seeing as it only had one when the arena was destroyed the first time. I also managed to explain how Cecilia and Houki escaped to get to Ichika, though her it was more of a hindrance to him now. **

**I saw a fic where they killed off Ichika, I wonder if I should do the same...**

**Nah.**

**Anyways, thanks for checking the work out, i'm happy with the amount of views this is getting but if you guys could take the time to follow, favorite and review then it would be very helpful. Any suggestion will be appreciated and if I do use them you will be credited, just please be gentle. Flames will be ignored. If you're the guy who posts OC's on stories as reviews then please man, do that by PM.**

**For anything you guys don't get, PM me and I'll try to explain myself without spoiling the story, most of it is obvious anyway.**

**Again, thanks for your attention and I deeply apologize for being so late, being a senior is hard.**

**See ya!**


	8. Chapter 8

******CHAPTER EIGHT: ********Conversation; To tie up loose ends, or to cut the string entirely.**

******Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story**

___ITALIC: THOUGHTS_

Silence.

That was all the filled the glaringly white room as the sun shone though the open window. It was already afternoon as the orange light penetrated the bullet proof glass, doing nothing to tarnish the blinding white within. In the middle of the small enclosure of walls and curtains was a boy on a simple bed, breathing easily as his countenance retained nothing from the taxing battle he fought. The rest of his body was kept under a pristine white blanket as his chest slowly rose and sank with every breath he took.

In stark contrast to the walls, there stood a figure dressed in pure black, leaning on the walls as orange eyes that glowed much brighter than any fire that burned kept a watchful gaze over the boy. Indeed, Orimura Chifuyu did care for her brother, much more deeply than anyone would ever suspect if they see the way she treats him, but what she did when no one was around, like how she kept an unrelenting vigil over his resting body, spoke volumes of her compassion.

She allowed herself a gentle smile, a smile that only the boy would see in rare instances, as he stirred groaning in pain as consciousness returned to him. Despite his pain, at least she knew he was still alive, and can therefore heal and as his sister, one who would look death in the eye to watch it blink at her gaze, that was all she could ask for.

"Ow" He said with a pained voice as she began walking towards him.

As he shifted, she caught a glimpse at his body from under the blanket. The burns he suffered were minor at worst and would heal in a week at worst, no major discoloration seen from behind the translucent veil; strange since the sands of the arena was transformed into hard burned glass after the last blaze that was lit. She could not help but feel a tinge of relief as he began looking around, apparently unable to see her from behind the white curtain that isolated him for the rest of the room.

"Glad to see you're finally awake." She said with an almost level tone as her hand quickly moved the curtain, revealing her presence as he jolted upright, just before the pain from his injuries reminded him of their presence. She had to suppress a laugh when she saw him surprised then suddenly, comically in pain, though a small titter managed to escape her lips.

"Chifuyu-nee! What happened to the IS that attacked? Was the first one that came really unmanned? Did anyone else get hurt? What happened..." He began shooting questions at her as she lightly ruffled his hair. He was immediately silenced by the gesture, caught in between awe and confusion as to why she would do such a thing.

"You're definitely my brother all right. Only you would be worried about everyone else after fighting an enemy of that caliber." She said with a smile as she sat on the bed next to him. "You suffered several burns after the fight but most of them are minor, which is more than what we could say for the arena. You also suffered minor bone fractures, not to mention several muscles being torn is more places that I would try to count. Your suit was damaged, but not beyond repair so that would ground you for a while. Use that time to rest, okay"

And there it was. For the first time since he was accepted, or forced, into the IS Academy that his sister finally showed her more caring side. It was a rare sight to see.

"Yes, Chifuyu-nee." That was all he could say when confronted by her when she was like this. "Oh and sorry for worrying you."

"Here's your punishment then." She said with a less than soothing tone as she took him into her arms, fully aware that, even if the burns were minor, such contact between them will and most definitely did hurt. She could almost imagine his face as more pressure was applied, before she ceased torturing him. "Besides I wasn't worried. I knew something like that could never take my brother down." _Because I'll always be there for you. _The last part was left unsaid but not unknown to the younger brother.

"Now on to another matter. It seems that your suit is full of surprises. How exactly did you learn to use a shield that could turn into several other blades, close-combat drones, an energy net and auxiliary thrusters in such a short time?" She asked with a curious tone, no measure of threat or any underlying consequence in her voice. The answer to that question was almost common knowledge anyway, considering how fast information can fly in an all-girls school. Gossip did have some truth in it, somewhere.

"Yukito taught me how to use it as a shield, but the rest of it I discovered on my own." He said with a level voice, lacking any of the tell tale signs of deception. "The rest of it I just happened to figure out after repairing the shield after every time Yukito destroyed it during our training sessions. After realizing why it had so many divisions built into the design of the shield, I checked if it could do anything other that separate itself and then I stumbled across the rest of it's functions."

"Good, that will teach you how to work harder. Now, I have other things to attend to so try not to hurt yourself too much while I'm gone." She said before walking away, closing the curtain as she passed. With a final glance at her little brother, she left to room with a smile on her face before donning her mask of stoicism once more.

She the began to casually walk down the corridor towards her next meeting with a skip in her step. After all, She did have two stray pilots to discipline, why wouldn't she be happy?

"The legendary Empress of the IS with such an innocently naive smile on her face..." She didn't need to turn to figure out that a bespectacled student in uniform leaning just beside the door she opened to exit the infirmary. "What an interesting sight indeed. He's right though, you should learn to smile a little more."

"You're still in trouble for staying idle while they wreck havoc in the arena. The two Representative Candidates, the younger sister of the creator of the IS and most importantly, my brother, threatened." She growled angrily as a soft chuckle reverberated through the corridor, a truly musical sound before she snapped. "Don't think there won't be consequences."

"But you saw this coming didn't you?" The student asked before leaving the wall and turning, standing back-to-back with the teacher, albeit they were still a couple of feet away from each other as they conversed. "You overestimated his abilities, with the suit, with his weapons, and especially with the one even he doesn't know about. That particular crutch can only take so much weight before it breaks, but you are his sister so you must know best." The sound of leather striking tile echoed into her ears, indicating her counterparts exit.

"Of course I saw this coming, playing shogi with Tabane doesn't come without it's benefits." That statement alone carried enough weight to stop anyone in their tracks, the student included before the teacher continued. "Tread lightly, Sumeragi, your allies fear me for a reason." It wasn't a threat, but a statement of fact when she said this, recalling the scene.

Just as the plume of flame reached her brother, the once collected blue knight sprung into action, raising his arm at the blaze and sending ten of the countless crystal feathers on its back to her brother, forming a ring in which the torrent flowed through, easily scattering the flames around her brother instead of directing it at his already charred form. The feathers began to glow, as the flames immediately around them shrunk away from the shimmering gems, forming a spherical space around her brother as the entire arena was consumed by the inferno. That strategy ensured his survival, allowing only minor burns to be inflicted on his body by flames meters away, further demonstrating the power of the infernal blaze.

She knew they did this because of her, or rather what she could do to them if her brother was severely injured. It didn't occur to them she retired after her suit refused to function.

"Of course, Chifuyu-nee." A bright voice explained with a light hearted giggle as the footsteps resumed. "But then, to everyone else, I was never here in the first place."

___This is a Page Break_

All he could remember was saying goodbye to his sister before closing his eyes, but as blackness occupied his eyes, he could swear that the sound of another breathing was snaking its way into his ears. He opened his eyes, half wondering who was there and how long had he been sleeping, only to see a strange but familiar face. "Rin?"

Yes, it was his second childhood friend, whose face was curiously just a few millimeters from his. At the mention of her name, she jumped away like a scared rabbit looking a bit on ended as he sat up from the bed. "What are you doing?" He asked in a clear and very confused voice. The only reason anyone would do that was to give the other CPR, and he had been breathing normally ever since he fell asleep... whenever that was.

"You-you-you-your-you're awake the-the-the entire time?" She managed to stutter out from her position, appearing much like a scared kitten. It was strange, but he found it cute.

"People wake up when they hear enough noise if I'm not mistaken." He said as-a-matter-of-factly before turning to her with an eyebrow raised. "Why are you panicking anyways?"

"I'm not panicking!" She screamed, as if she was hysterical, making it more obvious she was denying it, though the boy knew better than to challenge her in his current condition.

He just waved it off with a small smile as she sat beside his bed, her face betraying the fact she was going to say something. He knew this was coming, even before the fight he wanted to just settle all this nonsense without any violence. She would explain the promise to him, and he would have to face whatever interpretation she laid before him. If it was to happen now though, he might as well get something else out of the way beforehand.

"Hey Rin, the match was canceled right? So do you want some kind of rematch or something?" He asked with an even tone as she began to mumble to herself.

"It doesn't matter anymore." She said flatly, causing him to jump back for a while.

Something was wrong, he knew that much by her tone, and the fact she conceded. She never conceded a point, ever. No matter if she was fundamental wrong or the argument was just plain pointless, she was never one to admit her mistake unless blatantly placed in front of her by a party she would never argue against, say his sister for example. But against him, or anyone else on the same level she was, which was actually everyone else aside from his sister, she would rather die than back down from an argument, verbal or otherwise.

"Why?" He dared to ask. He thought he heard the snapping of a branch and a growling dragon and started regretting his move. He was in for another battle, or verbal lashing as it was.

"I said it doesn't matter! How many times are you going to make me repeat myself?" She yelled as he shrunk back deeper into his bed. It was now or never, so he made his move.

"I'm… Sorry for everything…" He apologized sincerely as red started to color her cheeks. He still had no idea what he did wrong, marriage was really something he would never consider in the past, but even so, it was only right that he humbled himself now. So he did what he thought was right and hoped for the best, though she did beat him to the punch.

"Ah! It's not a problem now, remember? I told you doesn't matter anymore… I was too hot tempered as well, sorry." Rin's expression turns to shock, before she looks away from him.

He sighed in relief as their relationship was mended. He had thought they would have been torn apart after he threw the forbidden insult, though not he almost laughed as all he envisioned was for nothing. _Here I go then._ He had no trouble talking about the promise now, and this was the last hurdle he had to overcome before they would be alright again.

"Her Rin, I think I remember the promise more clearly now." He said as he looked at the setting sun, unable to see her form fidgeting nervously as he smiled. "More accurately, it was 'If my cooking gets better, you'll eat my sweet and sour pork everyday', right? Or something like that? How is it? Did your cooking improve? I would love to try it out sometime."

She was silent now and he took that as a signal to continue speaking. "Well the part where I eat your cooking everyday means that..."He turned to see her with a sly smile, her hair still swaying as if she had been shaking her head while his back was turned.. "...we'll still be close, right?" Now he was sure they were back to normal again.

"Yes, Ichika, that's exactly what it meant." No matter how sincere that might have sounded, he could detect a small amount of sarcasm in her voice. "How else am I going to get better if no one tells me what they thing about my cooking?" He couldn't help but feel she was looking down on him, but he would just let it go for now. It was actually better for him.

Somewhere deep inside him, he felt things were finally going to get easier on him, though another part found itself laughing at the blissful naive idea. A strange smile tugged at his lips as he sighed inwardly. _How an I supposed to understand my friends here when I can't even understand myself sometimes._ He thought as he looked at his second childhood friend.

He almost sighed as he heard the sound of footsteps quickly closing in o his room, two pairs to be precise. One was rushed and erratic, as if the runner was desperate to get to her, or may be his, destination, while the other was a tad bit more relaxed, opting for a nice stroll as she made her way towards the infirmary. If he were to hazard a guess, he would think that the pair would be comprised of Cecilia and Houki, finally understanding why he had a strange sense of foreboding the entire while.

_I'm never going to, am I?_

___This is a Page Break_

"Hold on, hold on." A boy whose hair was colored a dark but vibrant carmine asked his companion, abruptly halting the narrative as the monitor before them stopping all movement before the word "paused" lit up screen, filling the entirety of the glowing surface. The old controller his hands were fiddling on was soon stilled as both of them were raised in a gesture of either surrender, or confusion.

"You're telling me, you knew that the lives of practically everyone in the arena rested on you beating this girl in a giant metal suit, who you previously maimed with your giant laser sword though still lived, even if that should have reached the ribs and lungs at least..." He raised his smallest finger while his eyes narrowed incredulously at the black-haired boy.

"She then uses her demon spear as a giant flamethrower with enough power to fill the 200 meter diameter arena in a single blast, and then some, and you decide that the best way to counter that particular move, was not to dodge or block but to charge through it..." The tone of his voice expressed utter disbelief as the ring finger was raised.

"Keeping in mind She looked particularly scary considering the way you described it, you just blindly hopped in there and hoped for the best while they were practically roasting you alive?" The middle finger was now raised as the boy with crimson hair just managed to get the last of the words out of his mouth while still retaining his sanity.

"Yes." Ichika looked back at his friend as he just shrugged, surprising the recently defeated boy. He thought his best friend would have cared more for his well being and such a move was extremely risky that if he performed it with just one angle askew, one false step forward or back, one moment to late or too soon, he would have been incinerated by the flames.

"Sure." The red haired boy shrugged nonchalantly as Ichika grimaced, taking a bit of offense."It's not the worst thing you ever did in your life, I do believe I was there when that incident happened. But anyway, you said something about getting back together with Rin, right? I mean, our Rin, the crazy Chinese girl who would kill if someone called her fla..."

In a flash Ichika was covering his mouth, cutting him off in mid sentence, just before he said the accursed word. "Are you crazy, Dan? I might be being paranoid here but you know how much she hates that. Now she has a superweapon that forced nukes into retirement, made to be able to communicate and sense things half a galaxy away; I just think there's a small chance she would hear you say that." He said with a serious look on his face before taking his hand of his friends face, as Dan nodded vigorously in response.

"Good point, though how she always knows someone called her that is pretty creepy if you ask me." Dan said with a shake of his head before tuning back to his friend. "Anyway, why did you pick now of all times to get over here? Not that I'm complaining or anything, it gets pretty boring here, and schooling you in the arts of precision button mashing is way better than lying around all day, but you've been telling me all about the things that keep you busy in heaven; it sure took you a while to get your idiot butt over here and tell me about it."

"I was getting to that part actually; why exactly I got here." Ichika said in reply before he took a deep breath in preparation for another story. His friend was in the right when he asked for an explanation since he could have visited them on any weekend in the previous weeks, though he had his shield and swords occupying most of his free time as well as several basics he had to learn. Then there was tutoring and combat practice so it was a miracle he freed himself that day. "Okay, so it started just after I came back to the room..."

_This is a Page Break_

"What took you so long?" Houki said with a voice loud enough to wake the dead just as Ichika's hand struck the door to knock. If he hadn't been as hungry and tired as he was, he would have questioned as to why she could answer the door that quickly but he was and so he didn't. Instead, he did something only he would do, he kept silent as he trudged along.

"I waited for you on an empty stomach and you can't even work up the nerve to apologize?" She yelled at him angrily as he stiffened before slowly turning around.

"What? You haven't had dinner yet too?" He asked incredulously before mentally knocking himself on the head. He just asked one of the most easily angered women in his life an obvious question. There were now only three ways this could end; being struck, being yelled at or both at the same time.

"I told you I was waiting for you, Idiot!" He barely held in a sigh of relief as the second option came to pass, just enough time for him to make up a good response before she struck. He knew prodding would just anger her more so the bets option was to just take her out of the room and get dinner before the cafeteria was closed, yes that was definitely best.

"Then lets go get a quick dinner before the cafeteria closes. If we hurry, we might even get dessert." He said with a tone that hinted urgency as his hand quickly closed around Houki's before he made for the door. He was moving purely on instinct at that point, his hunger controlling him as he prepared to take the quickest way to the place of food with his childhood friend in tow. He couldn't have noticed the surprised look on her face as his hand took hers or the slight blush building as he began to firmly but gently tug on her arm.

"No... wait, Ichika." She said, more of whispered too him with a strange voice that contained too many emotions for him to detect, as she pulled on his arm, keeping him still before he could step foot outside of the room. He raised his eyebrow at her in response to the strange action just as his stomach gurgled in protest, emphasizing it's need for sustenance.

Several thoughts flashed through his mind as his eyes met hers and a flash of confusion invaded his mind. There was absolutely no reason for her to stop him, or them as it were, from going out to take a bite. The opposite should have held true in fact; assuming she was just as hungry as he was and he could have eaten anything that would satisfy his stomach at that point, they should be rushing to the cafeteria with reckless abandon. That wasn't the case and that meant there was something more important on his childhood friend's mind. If his experience as anything to go by, this only meant a few things: either he was going to have another sermon of a life time, followed by a few minor injuries, or...

"Is that food?" He asked with a pleasantly surprised tone as he lifted his nose to sniff the air. It was true there was a slight yet detectible scent that wafted from inside the room, more accurately from a strange cylinder that sat on the table. He didn't spare to glance back at Houki as he seemed to immediately appear before the table, examining the strange container with an inquisitive eye. With a deft movement, the lid was lifted and the essence of sesame oil filled the room with it's fragrance, calling to the pair to feast.

"Is this fried rice? What's it doing here?" _Can we eat it now? _He asked the stone-faced girl, leaving the last question in his mind as to not seem so rude or desperate.

"I cooked it..." She said, though the words did not reach his ears as he began stuffing himself like a pig. He noticed neither the blissful smile on her face as she watched him enjoy the work of her hands nor the small lunchbox she took from the counter in the hallway as she began to eat at a slower pace when compared to the famished male.

To be perfectly fair, he did just come out of a battle after having his rear handed to him on a silver platter; a battle he prepared for in earnest, sacrificing hours and hours in training and the development of his weapons. Now the adrenaline had faded, his body finally caught up to him and he slept till evening before his stomach roused him from slumber. The only thing that ushered him into his room was the fact that he knew Houki would kill him if he didn't; why wouldn't she, she almost bisected the only other boy one campus, who was to say he was safe? And now, he was hungry, and food was presented to him, he wouldn't be a man if it didn't disappear almost immediately.

He didn't care that the food was bland.

It was quite peaceful in the room as they dined, one wolfing down as much as he could regardless of the taste of the meal just happy that his stomach was being filled while the other watched with an amused look on her face, unsure if she should be happy that he was eating her food with so much, concentration, or if she should chastise him for not even asking her permission or for eating in such an improper manner and several other rules of etiquette that he was blatantly ignoring. In the end she decided to do nothing and remained satisfied that he was eating something she made with her two hands, knowing that the only probable reason he was doing so was because his stomach was truly empty at the time

"Thanks for the meal!" He yelled out gleefully as he put down that wooden spoon that came attached to the cylinder as Houki stood from her place on the bed. She seemed eager to voice something on her mind though was never given the chance as the door suddenly opened.

"Orimura-kun, Shinonono-san, are you in here?" A strangely not so nervous voice of their favorite green-haired teacher forcefully opened the door. She seemed strangely satisfied with herself as she entered, the smile etched on her face lighting up the room and removing any trace of the strange tension it held just moments ago.

"Is there anything you need, Sensei?" Ichika respectfully offered as the teacher entered, though several possibilities entered his mind as soon as the voice revealed itself to be Maya's. Those possibilities ranged from as normal, much like a surprise inspection his elder sister used to hold whenever she was around to check if he had less than decent material in his possession, courtesy of his less gentlemanly friends, to the surreal, such as the three giants ripping the door off it's hinges and rushing at him, all three out for his blood.

"You need to change rooms." She said simply while Ichika stopped all thought while Houki seemed to level a fierce glare at the petite teacher.

_What?_ The boy thought as one of the obvious of possibilities entered his mind. She did say that this was a temporary arrangement when he was first given the room key, though it seemed that he had gotten used to living with her after a few weeks. "What?" He asked offhandedly; well at least his mouth and bran could work in tandem after all, just horribly.

"...Yamada-sensei, I think it would be best if you explain everything from the beginning." Houki said as her glare intensified, causing the teacher to instinctively take a step back in an attempt to curb the pressure she seemed to be feeling. Ichika could feel it too, and though it was not as bad as the teacher made it out to be; it was for a reason he couldn't grasp.

"Ye-yes, sorry!" Maya bowed in apology while Ichika sent Houki a questioning gaze; his eyes silently asking her why she would do such a thing to their teacher of all people only for him to receive a glare from her in return. That was when he decided it would be best for them to just listen to the teacher's explanation, instead of glaring daggers at each other. "Hm, Shinonono-san would be the one moving out since the rooms have finally been arranged appropriately. That means you two don't have to live with each other anymore."

_Yes, this is perfect! _Ichika thought as soon as Maya mentioned Houki's name. _With her finally out of the room I can do anything I want without her knowing about it, no wait that would be a strange thing to say if anyone heard it. I could finally continue learning from Tabane-nee without any problems for Houki, but the bad news is I'm definitely going to have to cut my sleeping hours. Then there's the problem of going to Houki's room for tutoring, wherever she would be staying. It's like I can never win!_

"Ichika..." Houki called his name with an impatient tone, with an expression on her face that clearly put her anger on display. It was at this moment that he knew he was dead.

"Yes, if that's the case then I'll help you pack right away as well." Maya chimed in, completely unaware of the great conflict between the two students in the room. She couldn't even take a step forward though, as Houki flat out glared daggers into her, that if looks could kill, she would have been dispatched in a way that would even make Rasputin shudder in fear.

In that silence, she moved swiftly, taking all her things as systematically putting them away in under an hour before leaving the room without another word with the teacher in tow, leaving Ichika alone with his thoughts. To him, the room seemed a bit bigger now, without his companion around it seemed eerily lonelier, and she just left a few seconds ago. With a sigh, he just decided start on his nightly routine as to quickly put an end to a day that grated on everyone's nerves.

_Strange._ He thought as he began to brush his teeth. _It seems that my past is coming back to me these last few weeks. First I find out where my sister's been for the last couple of years, and reunite with my two childhood friends soon after. What a strange turn of events, and people say life is too dull at times..._

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard knocking on the door. A wry smile crept across his face as he thought of what had been happening the last few nights, with Yukito coming in to talk to him about a few things and the like. It was another one of life's better surprises for him, that he had a male friend to talk to, someone definitely more level headed than his male childhood friend, and that was one of the things that helped him through life at an all girls school. Imagine his surprise when he answered the door to stare down...

"Houki? What's the matter, did you forget something?" He asked the girl who returned after a short while. If he were to look carefully, it was as if some shade of red was building on her cheeks as they stared each other down, more neutrality this time instead of the hate filled glares she was sending him earlier. In a few more moments an uncertain silence covered the hallway, though even the moments that seemed like eternity, with all the tension hanging in the air, couldn't prepare him for what was to come.

Just as he was supposed to open his mouth, Houki's arm suddenly rose, her hand pointing a finger at him, cutting off whatever he planned on saying before a single syllable exited his throat. Then, she said one of the strangest things he had ever heard. "Ne-Next month, in the individual division tournament..."

His thoughts wandered towards the tournament, a free-for-all this time where all students were to participate to assess their skills. Every year level will hold their own tournament so the experience between combatants were more or less equal, though personal IS pilots still held an overwhelming advantage. The prize for the winner was still unannounced, though the student council agreed on awarding one every tournament, the one up for grabs in the previous one being a half-year's supply of desserts.

"If I-I win..." Houki was now stuttering, now he was worried. "You-You'll go out with me!" She practically proclaimed to the entire world before closing the door herself, leaving a very shell shocked Ichika at the door to ponder on what in the world just happened. If Ichika was a normal boy, there should have been thousands of possible meanings in his mind, what the girl, a girl he grew up with and known most of his life, said was extremely life changing but he could only think of one thing she _must_ have meant.

_Why would Houki need to ask me to help her on an errand? We've been shopping together as children and she was fine with it then, so why would she feel the need to ask me about it now? _The boy thought, though was immediatelyinterrupted when the door resounded once more, the knocking slightly faster though just as forceful as the first. He took a deep breath in preparation for what he new was to come, Houki coming back to explain herself, but to save them the trouble he planed to voice his acceptance immediately.

"You don't need to ask me to help you out, just tell me when you need me and I'll make myself available, okay?" He said with a wide grin as he opened the door, only to see a flourish of white before his eyes, Yukito's hair dangling loosely as his hand continued scratching his head in confusion causing some of the longer locks of hair to sway ever so slightly.

"Well, I think it's rude to let such an offer pass me by so sure, I needed someone's help in an errand anyway." Yukito said offhandedly as he looked to the corridor, most likely at Houki's fading form if she was still in the vicinity. "How does the weekend sound, this weekend to be specific? It would be nice to have a private chat with you."

_This is a Page Break_

"That does sound like you." Dan concluded sagely, his right hand holding his chin as he nodded. In truth, he had always expected his friend to get into these kinds of messes, now more frequently as he wasn't there to pull him out of it. He never understood why Ichika was so dense, despite his intelligence, which was nothing to be scoffed at in the slightest.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Ichika asked offhandedly as he turned to his male friend, oblivious to what he truly meant. He could almost feel the chill go down his spine as Dan looked at him with a condescending glance, before looking back at the screen like nothing happened, as if he was making his idiocy more apparent right in front of his face.

"It simply means that-" Dan began lightheartedly, finally resigning to tell the idiot what had been going on in his life, since apparently the affection of more than a couple of girls simultaneously bearing down on him had no effect the stone wall known as Ichika, though he was quickly interrupted by the sound of the door being kicked open with more that enough force. In a heartbeat, all eyes turned to the figure at the door, the argument of the two boys, even the new game they were playing, IS/VS, all but entirely forgotten.

In the middle of the doorway stood a girl, clothed only in a dark pink spaghetti-strap top that barely covered her midriff, while short denim shorts left absolutely nothing to the imagination at that point. Both in the room could see the long slender legs put on display before them, while her porcelain skin only made the sight easier on the eyes. Her clothing accentuated her slender yet curved body, Her hair was the same shade of red as the boy seated beside Ichika, though hers seemed messily clipped, letting it fall in a rough ponytail while the rest of the rich crimson locks were held up by a purple bandana. He features were those of a young maiden, and her bright scarlet eyes seemed to be shimmering.

Their only problem was that it seemed they were glowing with rage, and the fact that the eyes themselves were naturally red did nothing to make the scene less frightening, for the red-haired boy at least. The girl's mouth was twisted as she scowled at them, ready to voice her anger at the instant the door burst open with a loud thud as she barged in the room, striding in like a conquering king, never mind that she looked a year younger than both of the boys.

"Onii, get down there and eat already! I've finished preparing lunch about thirty minutes ago-" She seemed to stop herself as soon as her eyes landed on Ichika, as if her words and her pride got stuck in her throat before she swallowed them, something he noticed as soon as silence reigned once more, just like all the other times he paid visits there.

"Oh, Ran, uh, hi." He started awkwardly as soon as a full minute passed and nothing but silence was heard throughout the entire room. "Sorry for barging in here all of a sudden, I just thought it would be nice to pay your brother a visit especially after how many messages he leaves me every time we talk." He said apologetically as the girl stared at him strangely.

"Ichika-san?" She gasped as if the fact he was sitting in the room only registered in her mind at that moment. She quickly recovered from her very lengthy stupor and at least tried to start a decent conversation. "N-no, it-it's no-not l-like that, I-I was j-just surprised, that-that's a-all." She managed to stutter out nervously before coughing to regain what little composure she could. "Weren't you enrolled in a boarding school, Ichika-san?"

"Well, I had to help a friend with something and we agreed on going out today. Since we agreed that meeting somewhere near my house was fine, I thought I should have at least paid you guys a visit." He said with a smile, trying his best not to ask why she had changed her tone. He wasn't complaining, it reminded him too much of Houki when the younger girl spoke like that, he just found it strange that she would always do that when he was around. Was she scared of him or something? "I also needed to check on my house."

"I-I see." She managed to say, quickly stopping herself as soon as her stutter returned. From the corner of his eye, Ichika could see Dan shaking his head, this time at the girl in front of them. He sighed inwardly at the sight, already predicting what was to come.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock, Ran?" Her brother asked condescendingly, wagging his finger at her as he spoke. "Ichika would think you're an improper, shameless woman..." Only to be interrupted as soon as the little sister sent a glare that could freeze flame at him. At the sight of such a strange display it was evident who was the more dominant one in the family. With he hands on her hips and a light shade of pink coloring her cheeks, she raised a fist at him in tandem with the death glare, quickly melting his defenses.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" She asked just before futile trying to hind behind the wall, only her head visible in the doorway, glaring at the boy in black the entire time.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Dan responded, putting a hand behind his head as a nervous laugh escaped his lips. Everyone could see how terrified he was of his own _little _sister, it was almost comical. "It must have slipped my mind, my bad." He added, trying his best to calm his sister down before she decided to do anything drastic.

"Well if it's like that, then why don't you join us for lunch Ichika-san?" She asked with another sudden change of tone, form mercilessly cold to a more chipper and smooth tune. The boy couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at what he was seeing, though the only think he really paid attention to was the fact that Ran treated Dan much like his own elder sister, the legendary Chifuyu Orimura, the woman who couldn't even properly wash and fetch her own underwear from the house for reasons still unknown to the boy, treated him.

"Oh, sorry for being such a bother, but thanks Ran." Ichika said with an appreciative smile as the girl just nodded in confirmation before the door was slammed shut once more. With a wry smile, he turned to his friend, hoping for an answer to a question that had been pestering him for far too long. "Does Ran have some sort of problem with me?"

Imagine his surprise when his fired decided to send him emotionless look before raising an eyebrow at him, like he was one of the most idiotic life forms to ever walk the earth, him, the de facto apprentice of the creator of the IS and the woman who made Einstein look like an idiot by spitting in the face of his Laws. Him, an idiot? Just absurd.

He just shook his head as a deep sigh escaped his lips, a melancholic smile tugging at them as they closed before a cryptic reply was given. "You have to do that on purpose, you're too smart not to. Well that's good, I have to say, I'm much to young to have a younger brother anyway. Never mind, are you coming down to eat or what?" Dan added before standing up, brushing crumbs of his black shirt before lending Ichika a hand.

"You're really treating me to lunch this time?" Ichika asked with eyes wide with disbelief. He wasn't complaining of course. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah, come on before anyone gets mad, especially the old man." Dan said with a shiver before proceeding downstairs, with the chipper Ichika in tow as they rushed through the house in a slightly more careful manner than most as the hunted for their lunch, the game they were playing fully distracting them from their rumbling stomachs just minutes ago.

In moments, they stepped out of the Gotanda residence and into the Gotanda Eatery, a quaint little restaurant managed by the family and built into the round floor of their abode so they would never be away from home as they worked. With this kind of home, it would allow closeness to the workplace, without any interference between the two; something quite paradoxical though somewhat comfortable one had to admit.

There were a good number of normal customers around, though what immediately caught their attention was a pair of tables, both of them far apart though their occupants were truly people to behold. To further highlight this, Dan let out an undignified noise, a cross between a moan and question.

The first, and the one closer to the pair of boys, sat Ran together with the food they were to eat, already prepared for them. This caught everyone's eye since Ran seemed to have changed clothing. The first of the changes was the most apparent, that her hair was now allowed to flow down in all its illustrious glory, giving off a beautiful shine even as she simply remained seated. Her figure was now covered with a loose white dress, with frills decorating the top while folds hung at the bottom. Black stockings also clothed her long legs, further accentuating her impressive figure despite her young age. Though even with all these in mind, Dan could only voice his slightly uncalled for disgust: a sound that was a cross between a moan and a question.

"Are you complaining, Onii? If you want to, you could just eat somewhere else outside." Ran said as she called them over, though with the way she said such things to her brother, it would seem that she was doing everything but joking around.

"Hear that Ichika, My sister is the sweetest right?" Dan said in response as crocodile tears started pouring from his eyes. Ichika just decided to play along for now, patting the baling boy's back as he guided him to his seat at the table for three, quickly mouthing an apology for his friend as they sat, quickly coloring the girl's cheeks for a moment before the pink blush faded just as suddenly.

Dan just grinned as he noticed what his friend was doing, regaining his happy-go-lucky attitude, and in following his gaze, Ichika noticed the second of the two that seemed to garner most of the attention of the customers in the small eatery. To be more accurate, he couldn't really see what enthralled them to such an extent, seeing as all the could be seen through a small crowd of people forming was a small table and the fact that currently four people occupied it.

"What do you thinks going on there?" Dan decided to break the strange silence that soon hovered about the table, as Ran sent him a reprimanding look and Ichika just shrugged.

"It's not polite to do something like that, Onii, especially if you don't know who they are." Ran said in a commanding tone while Ichika just tried to calm them down, with much fervor it seemed. It was as if he could foresee something that the two couldn't, like a gathering storm only he, a rare creature most resembling the fabled "Dense Girl Magnet", could sense.

"You brats, If you don't want to eat, you might as well get out of here!" A fierce baritone echoed throughout the small room as the cook, and the Family patriarch, Gotanda Gen, reprimanded his grandchildren and their guest. "That goes double for you hooligans. If you don't stop bothering people who are here to eat, I'll show you the door myself."

Ichika shuddered at the thought of such a threat as his mind allowed the memories of being punched by the old man surface. Despite being well over 80, the old man could lift several kilograms of weight with a single hand, and could do very well in street fights, much better that he could at least. The only thing he could think of that would defeat such power was the strength of his own sister, though he didn't know if the old man ever went all out on such a child.

In the face of such a threat, it was no wonder everyone started to seat themselves, quickly returning the restaurant into order; the trio was no exception. Ichika would have stolen a glance crowded table to see just what was going on that would draw such a crowd, but fear brought food to his mouth before he could even think about what he did next. Instead he thought small talk was the best thing in such a situation. "So, Ran, you must be going on a date right? That's why you changed clothes?" He asked in between spoonfuls of food.

"No, that's definitely not the case..." Ran yelled with indignation on her lips as she stood to deny such an accusation, before being cut off by something no one had expected. On another note, the chair behind her had just fallen, something that would have sent the ladle from the kitchen all the way to the forehead of the offender had it not been Ran who toppled the wooden seat.

"The Pres has a date? Oh, I'm so proud of you, Ran-chan!" An unknown girl practically squealed with excitement as a pair of slender arms hugged the surprised Ran from behind.

From what the pair of boys could see, white hair hung down to her waist like a mass of glowing silk as a genuine grin curved her lips, her features being all the more radiant thanks to the heavenly smile. As her eyes opened, they could see three colors, purple, indigo, and azure, blending so naturally that it seemed even less strange when compared to the crimson hair.

"Mitsuko?" Ran managed to stammer out before the arms around her waist tightened once more, this time lifting her up for a few seconds, something that greatly surprised her brother and his friend, before finally releasing her. "It-its not what it looks like, I swear!" Ran retorted a bit more convincingly without Mitsuko's arms trying to snuff the life out of her.

"Oh my, I thought you would be happier that you finally found someone?" The varicolored eyes then landed on Ichika, something that admittedly make his heart stop for a moment before he berated himself on the age difference. "This young man perhaps? By the way you're blushing he must have caught your fancy in someway." She suggested innocently.

Of course, something that hit the nail so squarely in the head had to be denied as quickly as possible, but before the already humiliated Ran could do anything to deny such a correct accusation, another blow was about struck against her: "Wait, I know this particular boy; Orimura Ichika, the brother of the Champion Orimura Chifuyu, also the first male pilot enrolled in the IS Academy, right?" She asked the question with almost little interest, like she was confirming a mathematical equation she solved with a calculator's answer, though he nodded all the same. The new girl was about to say more before Ran finally shook of her stupor and stopped her from dealing any more damage.

"Mitsuko-chan, shouldn't you be introducing yourself first? It's not polite to just barge in. Besides, what are you doing here anyway, I thought I postponed the meeting to next week?" Ran said with a dangerous tone so much so that the girl, and even Dan who wasn't even included in the conversation, began trembling.

_Ran is the Student Council President in a school for high class laddies like Cecilia, so her way of talking shouldn't be surprising. its still pretty scary though._ Ichika mentally noted.

"I apologize for my rudeness, I'm Mitsuko by the way, Second-in-command of Ran-chan, our President." Mitsuko said with a slightly more chipper tone before pulling up a seat from nowhere and sitting right down, beside Ran of course.

"As to why I'm here, Onii-chan decided to get some lunch before going to a friend's place. I thought this place was just as good a place as any and I just decided to accompany him just in case he got lost, again." She said pointing at the previously surrounded table with a sly smile.

At that table sat three individuals in fairly simple clothing, proving that the reason it was surrounded was probably Mitsuko. The first was a blond-haired boy in a simple red shirt and dark grey pants, who seemed to be fully engrossed in eating whatever was in front of him with extreme speed. The only thing strange about him was the fact that he seemed to be inhaling the food instead of eating it and the mess he left behind was practically nonexistent. Well, that could have garnered attention as well but very few people like professional eating tournaments.

The second at the table was one of a larger stature: a boy with tussled black hair falling short just above his chin as a pair of fiery blue eyes bore holes into his opponent. Dressed in a simple long-sleeved white dress shirt and a loose red tie paired up with black slacks, he devoured the food before him at an astounding rate, obviously trying to can his blond counterpart in a battle to see who can eat the most obscene amount of food in the shortest amount of time. Judging from the eye color this should be her brother also proven by the fact he paused from the little competition as Mitsuko mentioned them, sending her a small wave before quickening his pace.

The one who looked most normal of the bunch was the third, a girl by the looks of it, wearing a light grey long-sleeved jacket with a hood and a book obscuring her face. What could be seen was the pair of eyes, even darker than the deepest abyss, staring right into the pages of the book as if ripping the knowledge from their pages while the tray before her sat pristine. What was a bit peculiar in her case was the fact that her left had hid behind the book her right hand held up, even if there was no clear reason to do so.

"So, Ran-chan, is this the reason you chose to go the IS Academy in the first place? I went in because I'm friends with someone there too, but you never told me why you wanted to come with me." Mitsuko asked with a childish grin, causing Ran to redden a bit at what she was implying.

"I-I was get-getting to that." Ran interrupted with a noticeable stutter as she cleared her throat and sent a glare at the white-haired maiden. "I'm taking the IS Academy Exam next year." She proclaimed a bit more calmly than the last time, though it was now Dan's turn to react strangely, standing up and promptly getting struck in the face with a heavy ladle.

"Why do you want to go there, Ran? Isn't your school a direct path to a super good university? To give that up and take the entrance exam for the IS Academy..." Ichika tried to argue while Dan rested on the floor while Mitsuko just started to giggle. In truth, the only thing that was stopping Ichika from joining her was the fact this was one of his best friends.

"Don't worry, unlike my Onii, I'm really smart."Ran said while Mitsuko nodded knowingly. "All I need is a notebook and a pencil and I'm fine for the rest of the year."

Dan staggers up from the floor while rubbing his forehead "But... Don't you need to pass a practical test Ichika?" There was hope in his eyes, hinting that for some reason, he didn't want Ran entering the place he called hell. Maybe he finally realized the difficulty of living in an all-girls school.

"Right, the IS initiation test. If you aren't suited for piloting, you'll be rejected immediately." Ichika added helpfully explaining the test he took when he was forced to enter the academy. They didn't need to know that he fought his admittedly adorable teacher and won just because she got distracted and rammed straight into a wall, knocking herself out.

Ran only smiles before rummaging through her pockets smugly taking out a small piece of paper as she shows it to her brother. His expression immediately became bleaker as he read out the contents of the small piece of paper. "Eh? IS suitability test result...A." There was a tinge of hopelessness in his voice, but all Ichika could feel was ashamed since his best friend's little sister could legitimately perform better than he could, who for reference, earned a C for his first battle.

"S-so Ichika-san, as my sempai next year... please guide me!" Ran suddenly asked with a strangely enthusiastic voice, and when confronted with such earnest intent, Ichika couldn't find the will or the nerve to refuse such an innocent request.

"Okay, just leave it to me. I look forward to seeing you next year then, kohai. Just worry about getting in first, don't get ahead of yourself." He said with the wisdom of a boy who knows how it feels to have plans shattering right before his eyes. So much for a peaceful life in a good University and a stable job afterward. "Um, Mitsuko, If you don't mind my asking; Who's this friend you're talking about? I might know her and it would be nice to have another friend in that accursed place."

"Could it be the cute looking girl over there?" Dan asked bluntly, with a bit too much interest than that which could be considered healthy. "Well she's kind of cute with those glasses, and the pale blonde hair isn't an eyesore either. The book she's reading makes her look smart while the sporty outfit balances it all out, don't you think Ichika?" The boy questioned opened his mouth to reply before Dan started firing off again. "I don't know about you, but if she would just come here and talk to us, that would be just great."

Before apologizing for his friend who apparently has no shame, he gave the girl a better look, noting the presence of glasses and the hair that just peeked from the shadow of the hood being so lightly colored it could easily be mistaken for white. Then the book was slowly lowered from her face and he figured out that the dark eyes behind the lenses were glaring right at them. there was also the small fact her left hand rose to adjust the glasses by it's bridge; a hand covered with a gray-scale fingerless glove made of fine scale-mail.

"You don't happen to be_ Sumeragi_ Mitsuko, do you?" Ichika asked with a hint of despair as the girl in question plainly smiled at his realization. As it turns out, his mind is an open book to women of all ages, and it didn't take much to deduce she was enjoying his painful epiphany. "Dan, this is on you." He was resigned to his fate as he stood from his seat.

"What did I do this time? Ask about a girl you were actually going for." Dan joked with a smile before turning to the one he was previously speaking about.

"Ichika-san, just the person I was wanting to see." Yukito rose from his seat and made his way to his sister. "Very sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, Mitsuko always manages to hide my hairclips whenever we go out. Since you aren't done eating yet, why don't you introduce me to your friend." He asked in the calmest manner he could bring himself to speak in, the fact that he talked in a pitch higher when he was fuming with rage doing nothing to help relieve Dan of his strange and definitely wrong preconceived notions.

"Dan, this is my classmate, Sumeragi Yukito. Yukito, this is my friend, along with Rin, Gotanda Dan." Ichika then smiled at the red haired boy, who seemed to pale at what he said.

"Then isn't this the one who..." Dan began to panic.

"Yeah." Ichika deadpanned

"But I thought you said that it took a representative candidate's help to beat..." It did absolutely nothing to help his cause.

"I know." He then began to nod sagely, not unlike his friend had once done before.

"And I just called... Would you believe that... How can a..." And now he was spouting hysterics.

"Exactly." The black-haired had to stop himself from running, he knew it would just make it worse.

"Ran-chan, I think you should take your Onii away before Onii-chan begins beating the sense out of him." Mitsuko suggested carefully, clearly sensing her brother's rage.

"Wait, That's a He?" Ran shouted, genuinely surprised.

Chaos ensued, and a horror that no man, woman, or child should ever see unveiled before their very eyes. No one would sleep soundly that night.

_This is a Page Break_

"I can't believe he actually survived that! Maybe your losing your touch, _Princess_." The blond-haired boy said with a shameless grin before a fist met the center of his chest, flinging him a full five meters away from his original position, into the trunk of a large tree. "Never mind, sorry I even suggested it." He groaned as he struggled to his feet.

"As much as it helps in infiltration, I do not enjoy looking like some girl just out of junior high." A much more masculine looking Yukito, with his hood down and his hair a clipped bit shorter, said with a tone of finality, subtly promising to do worse to anyone who attempts to argue than what he did to the last ignorant boy who called him a "cute girl", also known as Gotanda Dan. Ichika still tried in vain to suppress such horrors inflicted on his best friend. "Please help Dante up, Cyan." He added with a sigh at the third time the blond fell after getting up.

"Anyway, the reason I called you over here is because I needed to talk to you privately about a few things, first and foremost being those two." He said with a small smile, gesturing at the two other boys who came with him to Dan's place, the one in black helping the one in red walk just after the latter was casually tossed into a tree. "I assume you've met?"

"No, at least I don't think we did." Ichika said with a slight tinge of confusion. _I thought he wanted to talk to me privately, then why did he bring two others here? They're both male, and so I should have met them before The IS Academy, right? _Ichika thought as the two returned to their positions, Dante sitting on the other end of the table with Cyan.

"Let let us introduce ourselves." Cyan began with a melancholic smile before reaching into his pocket and pulling out what resembled a small pendant made from an intricate set of overlapping pieces forming a sphere of amber steel that seemed to be ever shifting, flowing into itself like a whirlpool. "My name is Cyan Geoth Urban from Wales and I specialize in demolition and most fields of engineering. Basically if you need anything constructed and or destroyed, I'm your guy." He concluded with a shallow bow, which Ichika returned.

"Dante Alejandro Buontalenti, from Rome, Italy of course." The blond began in quick succession, not missing a beat as Ichika sent him a questioning glance. "My specialties are traps, subterfuge, espionage and all that dirty under the table stuff, except assassinations since that's someones else's job. I even managed to beat the Academy's Self-Proclaimed Best with just a set of snares." He then produced an azure crystal watch from his inner sleeve, allowing the fine piece to flow down his arm before automatically tightening over his wrist.

He then nodded towards Cyan, signaling for the latter to stand before they spoke in unison, suddenly taking a grave tone. "We apologize for our conduct during the experiment, it was not supposed to go as far as it did." They both bowed as low as they could while standing and waited for what the knew was to come; either a river of questions stemming from Ichika's mouth or one very angry pilot out for blood after what they did to his friends.

Ichika himself was just as surprised, finally realizing where he heard the blond's, Dante's, voice before; when an ice cold threat on Houki and Cecilia's life slithered menacingly from his mouth just the day before. But what really shocked him was their apparent lack of motive to do such a thing, and by that he meant apologize. He was never as stupid as he let on, always thinking a few steps ahead whenever there seemed to be trouble brewing, but to do something like this just after the attack, there was definitely something amiss.

"You threaten the lives of two of my friends, publicly make an attempt on my own life as well, insult me and my friend the entire while as we desperately tried to fight back, set the entire world in a state of emergency, caused an obscenely large amount of property damage, and call the entire fiasco an experiment..." Ichika said with his rage steadily building as he spoke, clearly making known his feelings regarding the situation at hand. "But all that aside for the moment. Why do you even think of such a pointless move such as apologizing?"

"Because it is simply the right thing to do. We are guilty on all counts; all of the accusations you have thrown are true at this point and it is the responsibility of the ones at fault to recognize their mistakes and attempt to correct them whatever means necessary." Cyan said as he straightened up and took his seat, sitting like someone who seemed to be on the side of justice, rather than the offender in the situation.

"And also because there was a possibility that things would have gotten worse if we did nothing." Dante mirrored the action of his peer, taking his own seat before settling in a more comfortable position. "But then again, this was just a possibility. If fate was smiling on you yesterday in the way you managed to land a strike on Hale, or rather the way she _let _you touch her in the first place, then there would have been no need for our interference. On the other hand, just think..."

"What do you mean, a possibility?" Ichika asked after a while, Dante intentionally leaving the statement hanging to allow him to fully take in what he was insinuating. "I may have failed in taking down Hale, as Yukito named her, but it was an unmanned machine; taking down something that wouldn't require me to hold back would be child's play for me." Ichika claimed in a tone not unlike the way his sister spoke when she promised punishments for the students who misbehaved under her watch.

"Are you sure about that? Are you sure you would have taken down something that allots _zero _energy to shielding?" Cyan said with a raised eyebrow, and a tone reserved for the wisest of elders. "I'm sure you saw just how easily it's arms got torn off, and that you know it should be impossible for direct contact with the pilot or the machine if the shield is up right? You, yourself, have experienced such a phenomenon, when your shoulder was struck and your arm should have been blown clean off despite the armor the IS provides."

"Basically, what he means is there was no energy shield that protected it, the armor would have probably been thick enough to withstand the impact cannons of your friend too if she could have landed a hit." Dante added, taking a sip from a bottle of water to wet his throat before raising his hand to stop Ichika's interruption. "I know, 'It has no defense, so what?' right? Well shields are constantly powered by energy even if it's still at maximum in anticipation for any attack, and reducing it will do nothing to lower the energy cost. As a result..."

"...Immense power is used in the erecting of the shield and maintaining it for the safety of the pilot." Ichika finished for him before the realization dawned on him. "And when that all that energy is directed elsewhere it might have been strong enough to achieve shield-nullifying abilities. A ranged Yukihira firing like sniper rifle, no wonder it took out the barrier. It also explains what she meant when she said over doing it, two cores used in conjunction really is something. Now you said something about an experiment?"

"Yes, this was supposed to be a collection of data, almost like every other country watching when that black monstrosity struck, though ours was admittedly a bit more in-depth and a bit less than legal." Dante spoke with a more sheepish tone, allowing himself a small chuckle as he continued. "We did hack the IS Academy's mainframe with just a desktop."

"And what do you intend to do with practically the entire database contain the machines and recorded abilities of all the youngest pilots in the world? Nothing villainous I presume." Ichika said with his facade quickly crumbling. The two before him sat with such poise and stoic grace while he was just a hair's breadth away from sweating bullets. "I assume that you both know what I am capable of. It would take less that a moment for me to cut you both down if I'm not satisfied with your answer."

"Like you have the b-" Cyan said with a tone that would have sufficed as a substitute for throwing down a gauntlet as Dante reached his arm out, silencing the largest of the group with the glare before turning to the one who issued the blatant threat. His eyes were as green as the sunny meadows and had nothing in them but glowing light while the orbs of the purest Lapis lazuli reflected the brilliance of the cold that would freeze the very sun over if given the chance.

"They are but children, Orimura-san, possessing no more ability than any normal child does." Dante said, is eyes closed with a voice of tranquility on his lips, but if it was of patience or fury one would never know. "You and some other select few are exceptions, but it would do you good to remember that so are we. You might have been apprenticing under the mother of the IS but you have experienced first hand the power of the armor we wear. Not even your Yukihira can guarantee victory against us, and that was a game"

Ichika almost flinched at the deathly calm and the soundness of the retort. He had almost cleaved clean through the torso of Hale, though she had been healthy enough to dip him into the depths of hell and escape like nothing happened. Another blow was struck when the silently glaring Cyan produced a pair of die from his pockets and placed them on the table. Upon close examination, there were no numbers on the dice just commands like attack, dodge, defend, just like ones in a turn based RPG, but it had slight charring as if it was burnt by something of high temperature. Plasma maybe...

"It was all according to chance?" Ichika paled as the realization struck him, well like a burning spear to the face. He was playing against a pair of dice, against nothing put a pair of inanimate objects that were tossed up to fate, and lost. No skill was involved, at all, and he had the floor as a dance partner as "Hale" dragged him through the motions.

"That's up to you to decide, but back to your previous question for a while." Cyan said with a noticeably chipper tone, speaking after recovering his composure. "We took the data on the IS, not the pilots and how to counter them just in case the need arises. As you've seen, our own suits have the capability to withstand shield-breaking blows due to the thick and all encompassing armor yet that can only last us for so long. We could use some ideas, and as you've figured out, the only reason we tell you this is that you made them yourself."

"If you had perfected the Bit control systems, they would have been a bit more formidable. The impact cannons also could be used in changing directions when using ignition boost if the pilot was skilled enough, since the only advantage it has as a weapon is the invisibility factor." Dante inferred as he raised his bottle to the young IS engineer, complementing him on his work. "If I know my codes well enough, then it looks like the Bit systems have been constantly changed, as if the central code was incomplete to begin with."

"If we're going to start with the technical part of this meeting, I want to know what you are first." Ichika said with his arms crossed as he leaned into his seat. "A bunch of teenagers can't come and invade the IS Academy on a random whim. Now your asking me to explain one of my creations, something that has the potential of several IS suits, expecting that I'll explain it just like that? Just what are you?"

"A group of individuals with special talents who decided to act in concert instead of apart." Yukito said, joining the conversation, offhandedly positioning his glasses so that Ichika could see only the reflection of the sun. "We are the unseen, the unheard, the unknown, and that is why we are feared. When the abyss comes and looks us in the eye, we are the light that drives it back, a light so brilliant that we only burn in instants as to keep our anonymity. We are, and that is one of the reasons the world is still here right now."

"You can just call us 'It's' for now." Dante said with a grin, his eyes floating from Cyan, who more the same expression as he did, and Yukito who wore a mask of impassiveness.

"It's? What kind of a name is It's?" Ichika raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"The only thing the enemy has time to say before all Hell breaks loose and the entire might of Heaven is brought to bear against them." Yukito replied as he stood from his seat. "Alternatively, it's also how you will be referring to us from now on, so I suggest you get used to it."

**AN**

**And that's the first Volume and then some done! Ok, first thing that needs to be out there: I have some semblance of a filler arc prepared, but I just want to know if you guys want that or we should go to canon for the time being. I just think there is so much time wasted between the volumes, probably a couple weeks of boring with no improvement when it comes to fighting skills for any of the characters. There will be a poll on my profile or you guys can just say it there.**

**And there are some of my other OCs in the mix; I'm sorry I really need other characters to flesh out the original cast, and it gives so much more plot opportunities.  
**

**Sorry, I have so much going on for me right now, between school and other more peculiar things i do, I find it a bit difficult to be shelling out 12k updates every week. I'll try my best to go every month.**

**Again if you have any questions, suggestions and ideas you guys might want to share, or you just don't get a part of the story, please PM me or review and I'll reply as soon as possible. **

**To the guys who Reviewed, Followed and Favorited, thanks and I hope I don't disappoint. But like most of the stuff here, it's done for fun.**

**See ya!**


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